Foreign Languages Requirement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am getting so many mix messages, from parents and even from high school counselors.

When colleges say "4 years of languages", what do they really mean? I have spoken to a 3 high school counselors and they have said that it means 4 years including those in middle school. They, of course, encourage kids to take as high as students can handle but counselors did say that colleges do not require 4 years of foreign languages to be taken while in HS if the language was started in MS.

But when I go on DCUM, it seems like some are saying things differently? Just curious if any of you have asked a college admin?

We have also seen friends who got admitted to UVA with only 3 years of FL taken while in HS, albeit the highest level the kids took was AP French in 11th grade.

Please help me understand because there seems to be lots of information floating around and I am not sure which is true, even after speaking to the counselors.


+1. You need to call the colleges direct and ask them. If they won’t tell you because they want to use “holistic” methods the. Just go to College Confidential and Reddit. Also google the college’s name admissions requirements foreign/world language language and a lot of information will come up, both from the institution itself but by their counselors like Dean J at UVA. You’ll also pick up information from those entities that run private counseling and use stats as a way to lure you in to hiring them.

Middle school language does not count. Top schools want to see four years of high school foreign language (all four years) in a single language. If you can tack on AP courses that will go a long way towards taking a “most rigorous” curriculum. Bear in mind that most elite colleges have their own foreign language on top of that so they take WL very seriously. Google college expectations foreign language. Talk to your high school college counselor.

I asked this college admissions counselors this question and you are wrong.

It depends which college admissions counselors you ask . I'm not joking. They aren't gods and they aren't always right and so many different universities have different standards and things they want to see.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am getting so many mix messages, from parents and even from high school counselors.

When colleges say "4 years of languages", what do they really mean? I have spoken to a 3 high school counselors and they have said that it means 4 years including those in middle school. They, of course, encourage kids to take as high as students can handle but counselors did say that colleges do not require 4 years of foreign languages to be taken while in HS if the language was started in MS.

But when I go on DCUM, it seems like some are saying things differently? Just curious if any of you have asked a college admin?

We have also seen friends who got admitted to UVA with only 3 years of FL taken while in HS, albeit the highest level the kids took was AP French in 11th grade.

Please help me understand because there seems to be lots of information floating around and I am not sure which is true, even after speaking to the counselors.

Middle school language does not count. Top schools want to see four years of high school foreign language (all four years) in a single language. If you can tack on AP courses that will go a long way towards taking a “most rigorous” curriculum. Bear in mind that most elite colleges have their own foreign language on top of that so they take WL very seriously. Google college expectations foreign language. Talk to your high school college counselor.

I asked this college admissions counselors this question and you are wrong.

But the information came from a quick google to find UVA’s foreign language expectations. It quite clearly said it wanted to see four years in a SINGLE language. It also said that two years of high school language was required for the application but that four years was “strongly recommended” and of course Dean J says “most rigorous”, meaning get those AP language courses if you can. My UVA student had four years of high school Spanish, then 2 years of German at UVA. He took an additional class in Spanish during the rising-senior summer to prove his mastery of the language and ability to handle college-level work. The average high school college counselor cannot keep abreast of everything every school wants. You must call the college’s admissions offices. What am I wrong about? Google what I said above

In some districts, students begin FL in middle school and those courses are on their transcript and calculated into their GPA. They reach level 4 of a high school language by 10th and AP by 11th. UVA will not fault you if you don’t start over senior year. Also UVA is only one school.

[Anonymous]

I think we need to drop the what the schools want and let the kids do what interests them. If your student generally has an interest in language and cultures that’s great but trying to fit in the mold by doing xyz because that’s what the schools want is only setting your child up for failure when they get there.

[Anonymous]

The other thing to consider - will I have to take a foreign language once I get into XYZ university? You may only need 3 years to get into the college. But then if you didn't do the 4th year in high school, the college may require you to take foreign language. Again, it's going to be very college specific and it may even be major specific. A liberal arts major may have to have language proficiency but the engineering major may not need the proficiency.

DS #1 only took 3 years in high school but his junior year he took IB French. He went to a SLAC and did not have to take language in college. DS #2 only went to Spanish 3. I told him to take AP Spanish but he wanted to take AP Statistics instead and is majoring in math in college. He is also at a SLAC and mom was right. He had to take two full semesters of Spanish at his SLAC and he told me he wished he had done the 4th year in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we need to drop the what the schools want and let the kids do what interests them. If your student generally has an interest in language and cultures that’s great but trying to fit in the mold by doing xyz because that’s what the schools want is only setting your child up for failure when they get there.

Current 9th grade parent here. My kid is in Spanish 3 signed up for Spanish 4 next year, but really wants to switch to sign language junior year. They've shown an interest in sign language for years. We have encouraged them to say through Spanish 4 at least, but I know colleges would bump them up if they did AP Spanish in 11th and then sign language in 12th, but my kid is lobbying hard to not take AP Spanish. It's so hard to know what to "let" them do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we need to drop the what the schools want and let the kids do what interests them. If your student generally has an interest in language and cultures that’s great but trying to fit in the mold by doing xyz because that’s what the schools want is only setting your child up for failure when they get there.

I agree with this. My kid started Latin in 6th grade and they are in a school that did HS classes in MS. She dropped at level 4 because she hated it. However she does love language and traveling and wants to start over again in college (she is already self teaching). It’s a shame some kids feel stuck with decisions made so young (which really isn’t comparable to accelerating math, a comparison another poster made earlier).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I emailed the admission office for Duke and they couldn’t even give me a straight answer. I think for those colleges that aren’t clear in requirements, other factors will come into play as part of the overall application. Colleges like Univ of Delaware that explicitly states their requirements will use this as a weed out tool. FWIW, a friends daughter got into Georgetown with the minimum 2 years high school FL. She did also have a seal of Biliteracy in another not commonly taught language so that probably bumped up her FL cred. Another friends daughter got into Stanford last year with 2 years FL even though they recommend 3 or more in high school. This kid also had a seal of Biliteracy in a different language which may have been enough to satisfy their requirements.

The Seal of Biliteracy is what mattered. Most kids making this foreign language decision will not have that. So it's not applicable to the masses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I emailed the admission office for Duke and they couldn’t even give me a straight answer. I think for those colleges that aren’t clear in requirements, other factors will come into play as part of the overall application. Colleges like Univ of Delaware that explicitly states their requirements will use this as a weed out tool. FWIW, a friends daughter got into Georgetown with the minimum 2 years high school FL. She did also have a seal of Biliteracy in another not commonly taught language so that probably bumped up her FL cred. Another friends daughter got into Stanford last year with 2 years FL even though they recommend 3 or more in high school. This kid also had a seal of Biliteracy in a different language which may have been enough to satisfy their requirements.

The Seal of Biliteracy is what mattered. Most kids making this foreign language decision will not have that. So it's not applicable to the masses.

What is the seal of biliteracy? How do you get it? What test do you have to take?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I emailed the admission office for Duke and they couldn’t even give me a straight answer. I think for those colleges that aren’t clear in requirements, other factors will come into play as part of the overall application. Colleges like Univ of Delaware that explicitly states their requirements will use this as a weed out tool. FWIW, a friends daughter got into Georgetown with the minimum 2 years high school FL. She did also have a seal of Biliteracy in another not commonly taught language so that probably bumped up her FL cred. Another friends daughter got into Stanford last year with 2 years FL even though they recommend 3 or more in high school. This kid also had a seal of Biliteracy in a different language which may have been enough to satisfy their requirements.

The Seal of Biliteracy is what mattered. Most kids making this foreign language decision will not have that. So it's not applicable to the masses.

What is the seal of biliteracy? How do you get it? What test do you have to take?

In MCPS you have to take a ACTFL approved test that is given once a year or get a 4 or 5 on the AP FL exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am getting so many mix messages, from parents and even from high school counselors.

When colleges say "4 years of languages", what do they really mean? I have spoken to a 3 high school counselors and they have said that it means 4 years including those in middle school. They, of course, encourage kids to take as high as students can handle but counselors did say that colleges do not require 4 years of foreign languages to be taken while in HS if the language was started in MS.

But when I go on DCUM, it seems like some are saying things differently? Just curious if any of you have asked a college admin?

We have also seen friends who got admitted to UVA with only 3 years of FL taken while in HS, albeit the highest level the kids took was AP French in 11th grade.

Please help me understand because there seems to be lots of information floating around and I am not sure which is true, even after speaking to the counselors.

I think that if the student is taking the highest class in that language avail e to them in 11th then can could make a note of such in their app explaining why they did not take it in 12th. However if a student is stopping language after level 3 or 4 their 11th grade year and not taking a higher level that is available to them at their school then they limit college options( this only applies at highly selective schools obviously).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we need to drop the what the schools want and let the kids do what interests them. If your student generally has an interest in language and cultures that’s great but trying to fit in the mold by doing xyz because that’s what the schools want is only setting your child up for failure when they get there.

Current 9th grade parent here. My kid is in Spanish 3 signed up for Spanish 4 next year, but really wants to switch to sign language junior year. They've shown an interest in sign language for years. We have encouraged them to say through Spanish 4 at least, but I know colleges would bump them up if they did AP Spanish in 11th and then sign language in 12th, but my kid is lobbying hard to not take AP Spanish. It's so hard to know what to "let" them do.

Can he do both? My DS did. You can work the second language into the regular curriculum, take a summer course at NVCC or as a non-degree student at George Mason, of after school, which is what one if my DS’s friends did. DS did a summer NVCZc course. Do not drop out of fourth year if applykNVCC to a school test wants to see four years of a single language, especially if they require two more while at the University (UVA). Call or look up expectations of colleges tgst you think your son might apply to