Dual Language Track

[Anonymous]

Starting in 9th, our school offers a dual language track. DS is contemplating between starting a dual language, but that would mean he would have to choose between robotics and a 2nd language in 9th grade.

In terms of college admissions/ transcript breadth- Would a STEM kid be disadvantaged if they took a dual language track?
DS's choice in dual language would be Latin and French. DS has no interest in medicine, but loves science, biology and engineering.

Pros-
Easier to learn languages at a younger age
Choice in dual language would- Latin & French; Latin obviously has it's own list of benefits
Still can join the robotics club

Cons-
Cannot take robotics sophomore year as it is sequential
Would be spending more time with students who are not as STEM focused
Established social groups from the robotics class might make DS feel like an outsider at the robotics club

[Anonymous]

DS should do what he wants to do.

[Anonymous]

By Latin do you mean Spanish or the ancient language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By Latin do you mean Spanish or the ancient language?

Huh?

Why would someone say Latin when they mean Spanish?

[Anonymous]

Please make the choice based on what he wants to do, not guess what will look "better" for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please make the choice based on what he wants to do, not guess what will look "better" for college.

The problem is that he wants to do both and he can't. What should be our deciding factor? He's split down the middle and has high aspirations.

We're not necessarily looking for what's better, rather what do the engineering and science programs prefer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By Latin do you mean Spanish or the ancient language?

Sorry but this made me LOL. They mean Latin - the language of ancient Rome. Not Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS should do what he wants to do.

+1. There is no wrong choice here and no reason to micromanage this, OP.

[Anonymous]

Let your kid do what he wants to do. It doesn’t matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS should do what he wants to do.

This ^^ and also the don't choose based on what you think a college cares about.

Your DC should take courses they are interested in taking. It's up to them to decide the trade-off between robotics and a second language.

[Anonymous]

I’d do Latín and robotics, if he still wants to learn French he can do that in college. It will be easier to learn once he knows Latin.

[Anonymous]

Let me confess. I guess I'm prejudiced against French. I studied it for 13 years and outside of working as a translator for a brief stint, it's useless. My biggest regret and biggest waste of time.

The only reason he is stuck on French is because he would graduate with 5 years of the same language. I told him that 4 years of Spanish is more useful than any amount of time studying French. He originally tried to take Spanish, but of course silly public schools lacked funding and had to nix it.

Honestly, why any schools offer it at this point is baffling.

Anyways, he is equally stem focused and heavy into engineering and robotics. I'm all for diversifying his course load, but what would an engineering program think if he picked dual language over robotics?

[Anonymous]

No, I don’t think MIT will care that he wanted to take two languages. I do think MIT will care if he shows no interest in science, all of his good grades are in humanities, and every summer is spent in theater camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I don’t think MIT will care that he wanted to take two languages. I do think MIT will care if he shows no interest in science, all of his good grades are in humanities, and every summer is spent in theater camp.

That said, if your son loads up on humanities and wants to spend summers in theater camp, you should let him. MIT is miserable for the wrong kid.

[Anonymous]

How is it a con that your child "would be spending more time with students who are not as STEM focused"??? Just because someone takes French instead of robotics they aren't worthy of friendship?