Starting Foreign Language in MS and finishing up early in HS

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any experience with colleges that require "four years of the same foreign language," and have a kid who started their foreign language in middle school (for which they received high school credit) and finished up the foreign language sequence with an AP by 11th grade. Will schools that require "four years of the same foreign language" consider that application (with only three years taken while in HS) as not meeting this requirement?

[Anonymous]

If they received high school credit for the middle school course, then I think your child will have finished four years.

This question is asked a lot, and no one seems to have an exact answer. I have two kids moving up soon who might end at the AP level sophomore or junior year. I was thinking of looking into post AP offerings at local CC.

But I think ending with 3 years of high school language (+1 from middle school) and at the AP level should be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone have any experience with colleges that require "four years of the same foreign language," and have a kid who started their foreign language in middle school (for which they received high school credit) and finished up the foreign language sequence with an AP by 11th grade. Will schools that require "four years of the same foreign language" consider that application (with only three years taken while in HS) as not meeting this requirement?

No. 4 years of the same language spanning MS and HS is fine, especially if it terminates with an AP.

[Anonymous]

Ask your college counselor. I think different schools have different views on this. My daughter did AP Spanish IV and got a 5 in her junior year and the college counselor was insistent she needed to take Spanish V senior year. And this counselor is pretty laid back about most things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask your college counselor. I think different schools have different views on this. My daughter did AP Spanish IV and got a 5 in her junior year and the college counselor was insistent she needed to take Spanish V senior year. And this counselor is pretty laid back about most things.

Thanks. Ok here, DD's foreign language is French and only has one AP option. I wonder if you were told to do the next Spanish level because of the next AP option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask your college counselor. I think different schools have different views on this. My daughter did AP Spanish IV and got a 5 in her junior year and the college counselor was insistent she needed to take Spanish V senior year. And this counselor is pretty laid back about most things.

Thanks. Ok here, DD's foreign language is French and only has one AP option. I wonder if you were told to do the next Spanish level because of the next AP option?

Hmm that’s a good point. Her school goes up to French and Spanish VI. If there’s nothing further offered, I would assume it would have to be enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask your college counselor. I think different schools have different views on this. My daughter did AP Spanish IV and got a 5 in her junior year and the college counselor was insistent she needed to take Spanish V senior year. And this counselor is pretty laid back about most things.

Thanks. Ok here, DD's foreign language is French and only has one AP option. I wonder if you were told to do the next Spanish level because of the next AP option?

OP. In that case, she should be more than OK. To cover her bases, should could join or start a French language/culture club at the school and become an office bearer.

[Anonymous]

Colleges receive an info sheet on courses offered in the applicant's high school. If your kid has done all the classes they can, then there's no obligation to do more.

My bilingual kids took their native language outside of school at an accredited weekend school, recognized by their public school system, with the AP exam in 10th grade. They also picked a language to study in their public school system and went to AP level as well.

[Anonymous]

My. DD took French AP at the end of 10th grade. It's fine - so long as the minimum of 2 years has been taken in actual high school (9th & 10th grades).

[Anonymous]

Is an applicant with Mandarin Chinese coursework through four years (with no family or other connection to the language, and with 2/3 to 3/4 of the class having Mandarin Chinese as the primary language / language spoken at home) perceived to have pursued a FL path with far greater rigor than one where the applicant's FL is Spanish or French?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is an applicant with Mandarin Chinese coursework through four years (with no family or other connection to the language, and with 2/3 to 3/4 of the class having Mandarin Chinese as the primary language / language spoken at home) perceived to have pursued a FL path with far greater rigor than one where the applicant's FL is Spanish or French?

No. A foreign language is foreign language.

Sorry, my kid took Chinese under similar circumstances . It was difficult but was her choice, not made to impress college AO’s.

Stop seeing everything through that lense. It is not healthy

[Anonymous]

Doesn’t matter 4 years is 4 years. My kid still got into UVA with only 4 years of a language. 7th-10th. Never crossed his mind to need to go further.

[Anonymous]

Every time this comes up it makes me mad. I double majored in languages in college—I’m not anti language. But not all kids like it and forcing a kid to give up other electives or sciences classes to limp through a language class they hate—and which they will immediately forget—is so pointless. Let kids take things they love and they will speak to them!
All we are doing is creating more of those people in Mexican resorts who use their terrible HS Spanish to berate the waitress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is an applicant with Mandarin Chinese coursework through four years (with no family or other connection to the language, and with 2/3 to 3/4 of the class having Mandarin Chinese as the primary language / language spoken at home) perceived to have pursued a FL path with far greater rigor than one where the applicant's FL is Spanish or French?

Why do you assume Spanish or French is less rigorous than Chinese? At my DC’s school Chinese is known as the language to take if you want an easy A.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is an applicant with Mandarin Chinese coursework through four years (with no family or other connection to the language, and with 2/3 to 3/4 of the class having Mandarin Chinese as the primary language / language spoken at home) perceived to have pursued a FL path with far greater rigor than one where the applicant's FL is Spanish or French?

No. A foreign language is foreign language.

Sorry, my kid took Chinese under similar circumstances . It was difficult but was her choice, not made to impress college AO’s.

Stop seeing everything through that lense. It is not healthy

It wasn't chosen strategically, but I've been wondering as application season has exposed me to a lot of actions taken by others to curate a path of rigor.

I was just wondering if I had inadvertently paved one for myself.