UVA & HS Foreign Language

[Anonymous]

I think that is what PP means-you need to be taking highest levels of core subjects available to show rigor. Our school offers 3 levels of Math and a future STEM kid needs to be in the highest level to be considered for UVA-for example, Honors Algebra 1 and not the middle level. If you are in Geometry as a 9th grader, even better, but be at the highest rigor level possible!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that is what PP means-you need to be taking highest levels of core subjects available to show rigor. Our school offers 3 levels of Math and a future STEM kid needs to be in the highest level to be considered for UVA-for example, Honors Algebra 1 and not the middle level. If you are in Geometry as a 9th grader, even better, but be at the highest rigor level possible!

When you say future STEM, does that include majors like Chemistry or Biology for pre-med types?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is my daughter's chances of admissions seriously lowered because she took only 3 years of language? She dropped Spanish after three years and is doing the most rigorous course load but it seems a bit fishy if they consider language this much for someone who is going into engineering school

For UVA? Maybe. URM or under-represented county could make it different though. My kid had 3 years of 2 different languages, was two years ahead in math, and had 11 APs total. They did not get in. White kids from a competitive FCPS need to be perfect which means hitting all their criteria with an overall 4.4+ to have a chance.

[Anonymous]

A high school counselor told us that UVA had told them directly that they like to see four years of foreign language. My son took five, started out Spanish but teacher was terrible took the next four in another language. Didn’t hurt him and he got in but might have been different if he had taken two or three years then changed.

[Anonymous]

Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

[Anonymous]

Is this absolute? My kid took 4 years of a less popular language (only 10 kids in the class at level 4). The teacher was the only one who taught the subject. During COVID, the teacher had a mental breakdown, to the point where admin became involved and the teacher disappeared the last few weeks of the year. Kid dropped the language after that; there was no acceptable path to continue with the teacher.

There was really no good way to explain this in an application. It’s going to look like kid didn’t pursue AP, but it’s obviously more nuanced than that.

I am not sure about the UVA application for rising college freshman because our kid didn't apply there but he is now working on his transfer application and there is a section to explain extenuating circumstances regarding high school courses. In his case, his excellent foreign language teacher became seriously ill during his second year and wound up leaving the school. The next year, the replacement teacher taught a combined third/fourth year class and basically advised them they should not continue with the language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is my daughter's chances of admissions seriously lowered because she took only 3 years of language? She dropped Spanish after three years and is doing the most rigorous course load but it seems a bit fishy if they consider language this much for someone who is going into engineering school

For UVA? Maybe. URM or under-represented county could make it different though. My kid had 3 years of 2 different languages, was two years ahead in math, and had 11 APs total. They did not get in. White kids from a competitive FCPS need to be perfect which means hitting all their criteria with an overall 4.4+ to have a chance.

+1

BINGO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

I don’t think there is a clear consensus because some people are defining four years and four years of classes in HS and others are defining it as four years of high school credits (where you could reach level IV of a language before senior year). Our school guidance counselors advise kids that 4 years of credit meats the requirement, so it’s really confusing.

Also since when did WL become a core class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

I don’t think there is a clear consensus because some people are defining four years as four years of classes in HS and others are defining it as four years of high school credits (where you could reach level IV of a language before senior year). Our school guidance counselors advise kids that 4 years of credit meets the requirement, so it’s really confusing.

Also since when did WL become a core class?

Fixed typos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

I don’t think there is a clear consensus because some people are defining four years and four years of classes in HS and others are defining it as four years of high school credits (where you could reach level IV of a language before senior year). Our school guidance counselors advise kids that 4 years of credit meats the requirement, so it’s really confusing.

Also since when did WL become a core class?

We were told by a college counselor that WL is a core subject She said the ideal is as to take all 5 core subjects all years of high school or until you exhaust the available classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

I don’t think there is a clear consensus because some people are defining four years and four years of classes in HS and others are defining it as four years of high school credits (where you could reach level IV of a language before senior year). Our school guidance counselors advise kids that 4 years of credit meats the requirement, so it’s really confusing.

Also since when did WL become a core class?

We were told by a college counselor that WL is a core subject She said the ideal is as to take all 5 core subjects all years of high school or until you exhaust the available classes.

Most families cannot afford a college counselor. Expecting kids and families to know something that goes against high school college counselor’s advice in kind of insane. Just another example of the system favoring those with means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

I don’t think there is a clear consensus because some people are defining four years and four years of classes in HS and others are defining it as four years of high school credits (where you could reach level IV of a language before senior year). Our school guidance counselors advise kids that 4 years of credit meats the requirement, so it’s really confusing.

Also since when did WL become a core class?

We were told by a college counselor that WL is a core subject She said the ideal is as to take all 5 core subjects all years of high school or until you exhaust the available classes.

Most families cannot afford a college counselor. Expecting kids and families to know something that goes against high school college counselor’s advice in kind of insane. Just another example of the system favoring those with means.

Aren't the terms college counselor, guidance counselor, and school counselor all talking about the same thing? Or are you thinking they are referencing a consultant who doesn't work at their kid's school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

I don’t think there is a clear consensus because some people are defining four years and four years of classes in HS and others are defining it as four years of high school credits (where you could reach level IV of a language before senior year). Our school guidance counselors advise kids that 4 years of credit meats the requirement, so it’s really confusing.

Also since when did WL become a core class?

We were told by a college counselor that WL is a core subject She said the ideal is as to take all 5 core subjects all years of high school or until you exhaust the available classes.

If your school college counselor has a not giving you this advice, they are a weak CC. This is known for Ivy and UVA. Taking core classes all four years is part of rigor. Rigor is not just your AP body count.
Most families cannot afford a college counselor. Expecting kids and families to know something that goes against high school college counselor’s advice in kind of insane. Just another example of the system favoring those with means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

I don’t think there is a clear consensus because some people are defining four years and four years of classes in HS and others are defining it as four years of high school credits (where you could reach level IV of a language before senior year). Our school guidance counselors advise kids that 4 years of credit meats the requirement, so it’s really confusing.

Also since when did WL become a core class?

We were told by a college counselor that WL is a core subject She said the ideal is as to take all 5 core subjects all years of high school or until you exhaust the available classes.

Most families cannot afford a college counselor. Expecting kids and families to know something that goes against high school college counselor’s advice in kind of insane. Just another example of the system favoring those with means.

Aren't the terms college counselor, guidance counselor, and school counselor all talking about the same thing? Or are you thinking they are referencing a consultant who doesn't work at their kid's school?

Other PP here - an outside counselor that the parent pays, to get you into a certain school - for which there are no guarantees.

IME, the HS counselor knows generally which students are attending where, before the students know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty solid consensus that 4 years of language is a clear UVA preference. Follow up question - is it important for your UVA prospects that the fourth year be at the AP level or would Spanish 1 - 4 for example meet the need?

I don’t think there is a clear consensus because some people are defining four years and four years of classes in HS and others are defining it as four years of high school credits (where you could reach level IV of a language before senior year). Our school guidance counselors advise kids that 4 years of credit meats the requirement, so it’s really confusing.

Also since when did WL become a core class?

We were told by a college counselor that WL is a core subject She said the ideal is as to take all 5 core subjects all years of high school or until you exhaust the available classes.

Most families cannot afford a college counselor. Expecting kids and families to know something that goes against high school college counselor’s advice in kind of insane. Just another example of the system favoring those with means.

The PP never said the counselor was private. I read it as public high school college counselor. And we were told the same. DS took four years of foreign language and got into UVA (also no. 1 in his class and 36 ACT)