Selective Colleges and Foreign Language Requirements

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges can look past not having language classes on high school if there is a reason for it. For example a three or four year program completer like PLTW, Magruder Aviation, etc. that creates a giant block in a schedule and limits course selections. They are looking for a commitment more than anything else. Liberal arts colleges might be more demanding though since students would likely have to take language courses in college there as well.

DP. This is good to know.

My kid is in a pltw program and taking a language only offered in HS. While 4 years are options in theory, there are not enough students, so a level 4 will probably not be offered. DC is hoping to be competitive for top tier schools.

They should let it be known that a level 4 was not offered and not an available option in their application notes.

Thanks! We will do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had 2 go to college, and seen many of their friends apply as well. The people with more FL got many more acceptances. We were told at college visits of more competitive schools, that they take FL very seriously.

More FL as in then took one language all four years of high school, or they take multiple languages for all four years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just moved to MCPS and my 6th grader is taking Spanish. Why does MCPS allow 6th graders to take high school level Spanish 1? I feel like it actually puts them at a disadvantage college-wise because they have to take such advanced levels to show 3/4 years of high school FL. I guess we could have DD not take it for 7th and 8th but that seems odd, too. And yes, DD could switch to a different language in 9th grade. Anyway, this is the first time I've encountered this kind of FL system and it doesn't seem that great to me.

What FL system have you encountered before? Looking back when I was in school, we had junior high not middle school. Plenty of kids started language in 8th grade so that was only one year behind average Mcps kids.

I’m not sure if MCPS should change or if the colleges should change. Why can’t the 2 years of a FL in MS be good enough for these colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just moved to MCPS and my 6th grader is taking Spanish. Why does MCPS allow 6th graders to take high school level Spanish 1? I feel like it actually puts them at a disadvantage college-wise because they have to take such advanced levels to show 3/4 years of high school FL. I guess we could have DD not take it for 7th and 8th but that seems odd, too. And yes, DD could switch to a different language in 9th grade. Anyway, this is the first time I've encountered this kind of FL system and it doesn't seem that great to me.

I dunno switch her language then. You are complaining because MCPS allows kids to learn language earlier? (When they are most likely to be able to absorb it.) Listen, my kid is in HS and took language starting in 6th grade is counting the minutes until she can drop her language. Yet, I am able to see that it is absolutely wonderful that a kid who is interested can end up taking 7 years of instruction in MCPS. We had nothing like it when I was a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just moved to MCPS and my 6th grader is taking Spanish. Why does MCPS allow 6th graders to take high school level Spanish 1? I feel like it actually puts them at a disadvantage college-wise because they have to take such advanced levels to show 3/4 years of high school FL. I guess we could have DD not take it for 7th and 8th but that seems odd, too. And yes, DD could switch to a different language in 9th grade. Anyway, this is the first time I've encountered this kind of FL system and it doesn't seem that great to me.

I am confused - why is your kid taking Spanish now? If you feel this way, instead of not taking it in 7th and 8th as you suggest, your kid could have started FL in 8th?

I think it is great that MCPS gives this option. DC has friends that took seven years of spanish - Spanish 1-5, AP Spanish and AP Spanish Lit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had 2 go to college, and seen many of their friends apply as well. The people with more FL got many more acceptances. We were told at college visits of more competitive schools, that they take FL very seriously.

I am sure there are exceptions, but people with more FL usually have a lot of other things going for them as well -- Correlation is not causation.

[Anonymous]

My DD is a junior and took 2 years of FL (one in 8th grade one in 9th) and then dropped it. She's taken high level AP courses, and has a lot of great EC's etc. and I'm really worried this is going to hurt her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had 2 go to college, and seen many of their friends apply as well. The people with more FL got many more acceptances. We were told at college visits of more competitive schools, that they take FL very seriously.

More FL as in then took one language all four years of high school, or they take multiple languages for all four years?

you keep up that close to what classes your kid's friends are taking? enough that you can compare years of FL to acceptance rates?

[Anonymous]

Our issue is that my kid came from a partial immersion school and is now in 9th in mcps taking french 4. Her school only has French 5 so not sure what she should do after next year. Wish there was a way for kids to take higher level language at the mcps schools that offer it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have had 2 go to college, and seen many of their friends apply as well. The people with more FL got many more acceptances. We were told at college visits of more competitive schools, that they take FL very seriously.

More FL as in then took one language all four years of high school, or they take multiple languages for all four years?

My children is taking French at middle school (Grades 6-8), and we are considering to switch to Spanish (Grades 9-11 or 12). Is there any consideration that this might be a good or bad idea? Thanks.