high school -- has anyone's kid skipped foreign languages in favor of technology classes?

[Anonymous]

I agree that most schools expect to see two years of a language on the high school transcript. Be very careful about assuming you can replace a language with a tech requirement. Check the requirements of your target schools very carefully to see if he can do that. The Chinese class he takes on the weekend (or whatever language class it is) is not going to count towards a high school language credit.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what the university ambitions are for OP's child or anyone else's kids, but my kids will be aiming for UMCP or UMBC. Both of those schools make it clear they expect to see at least 2 years of a language in high school, and they make it clear that is the minimum. I am unsure if they will accept the middle school courses as one of those two years. If there is some unwritten rule where they can get around the two year requirement, please let me know, so my kids can work out their options.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]nearly every college will want to see at least 2 years of high school foreign language credits for admission. Consult a guidance counselor.


Try four years. The admin. director at Va Tech says they prefer to see TWO languages.

[Anonymous]

In MoCo the middle school classes are on the HS transcript and do count. My child dropped a language after two years. It is clearly not her strength and she will put her energy in other areas. It may eliminate some college choices but that is ok. There are many choices out there.

[Anonymous]

I graduated in 2003 from an Ivy and we were required to show proficiency in a foreign Lang as a grad req.

This was liberal arts and you could take an SAT II to show proficiency. If not, you had to take classes.

Don't know how colleges do things now or your son would be affected, but I would rather take languages in high school than college.

Languages were more work at the college level and you had class like every day and they took up time in your schedule and work load.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[quote=Anonymous]nearly every college will want to see at least 2 years of high school foreign language credits for admission. Consult a guidance counselor.

Try four years. The admin. director at Va Tech says they prefer to see TWO languages.

http://www.admiss.vt.edu/apply/what-we-look-for/

Nothing here talks about 4 years or a second language. my DS did a second language and I don't think it did anything to help them with college admissions. Taking the hardest courses and having a high GPA is the best thing to do. 3 years of a language will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Here's a catch-22 for you...

I took 1 year of a language in HS, and then dropped the language in order to take Music Theory (3 years leading to the AP test). Languages weren't my thing, and music was....so I figured, why not.

Fast forward 6 years....I'm in college waiting for my invitation letter into one of the largest honor societies (Phi Beta Kappa....I think...) and I don't get one. I have the right GPA, so I contact the main office.....Turns out, in their list of requirements, you need to have 4 years of a language (HS-level or later) to qualify for admission. I had EVERYTHING else. So, had I kept taking Spanish in HS, I would have gotten in.

I'm actually not suggesting either course of action....just that you really never know how decisions may impact you down the road. There's no way to plan for everything...

[Anonymous]

I have 8th grader in MS now. Child took Foregn Lang 1 A/B in 6th grade, Lang 2 A/B in 7th grade but was not ready for challenges for Lang 3 A/B in 8th grade. Child does not want to take any languages beyond level 3!!!
Child is technical.

I started to ask around. Called local HS and UMCP councilors!
I was advised that in our situation at least one year in HS is required. They recommend 2 but will go with 1, since 2 were taken in MS.
I told them that my child is planning to take AP exam in 3rd language not available in local HS.

So my child now repeats Lang 2A/B in 8th grade, will take Honors Level 3 in 9th grade and will be done.
I cannot imagine somebody to deny acceptance to Technical Major with 3 years of FL (2 years in HS) and AP exam in another language. That would be ridiculous. Child will continue with AP language in college.

I did not allow my younger child to take FL in 6th grade, and plan for exactly same scenario without repeat in 8th grade (Honor 3 in 9th grade +AP another language) for the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a catch-22 for you...

I took 1 year of a language in HS, and then dropped the language in order to take Music Theory (3 years leading to the AP test). Languages weren't my thing, and music was....so I figured, why not.

Fast forward 6 years....I'm in college waiting for my invitation letter into one of the largest honor societies (Phi Beta Kappa....I think...) and I don't get one. I have the right GPA, so I contact the main office.....Turns out, in their list of requirements, you need to have 4 years of a language (HS-level or later) to qualify for admission. I had EVERYTHING else. So, had I kept taking Spanish in HS, I would have gotten in.

I'm actually not suggesting either course of action....just that you really never know how decisions may impact you down the road. There's no way to plan for everything...

Do you wish you had done it differently? You pursued your interests..which is what life it about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[quote=Anonymous]nearly every college will want to see at least 2 years of high school foreign language credits for admission. Consult a guidance counselor.

Try four years. The admin. director at Va Tech says they prefer to see TWO languages.

Yes because all technology college students should be fluent in 3 languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In MoCo the middle school classes are on the HS transcript and do count. My child dropped a language after two years. It is clearly not her strength and she will put her energy in other areas. It may eliminate some college choices but that is ok. There are many choices out there.

2 years of middle school language = one year of language. Make sure your daughter talks to her guidance counselor.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the school..many middles offer the full year..kids get 3 years in before high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MoCo the middle school classes are on the HS transcript and do count. My child dropped a language after two years. It is clearly not her strength and she will put her energy in other areas. It may eliminate some college choices but that is ok. There are many choices out there.

2 years of middle school language = one year of language. Make sure your daughter talks to her guidance counselor.

What is your source for this assertion? MCPS middle school foreign language courses are Honors classes and give the student high school credit.

My DD took a total of five years of Spanish starting in 6th grade. She took the AP Spanish exam at the end of her sophomore year of high school because she felt she knew the language and material well enough to do so. She scored a 5. And that was the end of her foreign language instruction in MCPS.

She is now at a top college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In MoCo the middle school classes are on the HS transcript and do count. My child dropped a language after two years. It is clearly not her strength and she will put her energy in other areas. It may eliminate some college choices but that is ok. There are many choices out there.

2 years of middle school language = one year of language. Make sure your daughter talks to her guidance counselor.

What is your source for this assertion? MCPS middle school foreign language courses are Honors classes and give the student high school credit.

My DD took a total of five years of Spanish starting in 6th grade. She took the AP Spanish exam at the end of her sophomore year of high school because she felt she knew the language and material well enough to do so. She scored a 5. And that was the end of her foreign language instruction in MCPS.

She is now at a top college.

Not PP. But I know some MCPS middle schools split up the first year of foreign language where they stretch the first semester over one year and then the second semester over the next year. At my daughter's middle school I think they were given the choice to split it up over 2 years or to have both semesters taught in a single year.