How many years of foreign language needed in high school for college admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Google the name of the college and “common data set.” Find the most recent version and look at section C5. Distribution of high school units required and/or recommended.

This won’t answer the Q of whether a college cares about your MS classes.

Colleges DON'T care about MS classes.

Obviously, right?

You might think it’s obvious but many colleges require students to report middle school courses taken for high school credit on the SRAR.

“Obviously” a college wouldn’t require you to report a class they don’t care about, right?

Middle school is over.

Move on.

Do you know that some school sysyems include the MS classes on the HS transcript and in the HS GPA for languages and math

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Google the name of the college and “common data set.” Find the most recent version and look at section C5. Distribution of high school units required and/or recommended.

This won’t answer the Q of whether a college cares about your MS classes.

Colleges DON'T care about MS classes.

Obviously, right?

You might think it’s obvious but many colleges require students to report middle school courses taken for high school credit on the SRAR.

“Obviously” a college wouldn’t require you to report a class they don’t care about, right?

Middle school is over.

Move on.

Do you know that some school sysyems include the MS classes on the HS transcript and in the HS GPA for languages and math

+1. This was true at DC's high school. Two years of honors Chinese were included on the HS transcript and factored into HS GPA. Took two more years of Chinese in HS. Got into nearly every college applied to (T30-50).

[Anonymous]

FWIW, my high school junior is taking Spanish AP right now (independent school where she tested into Spanish III as a 9th grader). The college counselor said that she absolutely needed to take "Advanced Topics" in Spanish next year to have four years of Spanish, including a year beyond AP. She will be applying to college as a humanities major.

[Anonymous]

Curious what college counselors tell students who are STEM majors and have limited spaces available to take AP science classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Google the name of the college and “common data set.” Find the most recent version and look at section C5. Distribution of high school units required and/or recommended.

This won’t answer the Q of whether a college cares about your MS classes.

Colleges DON'T care about MS classes.

Obviously, right?

You might think it’s obvious but many colleges require students to report middle school courses taken for high school credit on the SRAR.

“Obviously” a college wouldn’t require you to report a class they don’t care about, right?

Middle school is over.

Move on.

Do you know that some school sysyems include the MS classes on the HS transcript and in the HS GPA for languages and math

+1. This was true at DC's high school. Two years of honors Chinese were included on the HS transcript and factored into HS GPA. Took two more years of Chinese in HS. Got into nearly every college applied to (T30-50).

The key is the selectivity of the school. Colleges in the T1-30 range are going to have higher expectations of the # of years of language taken during high school, excluding those taken during middle school.

[Anonymous]

Curious what college counselors tell students who are STEM majors and have limited spaces available to take AP science classes?

Why are you taking AP Chemistry? You know it's really hard."

[Anonymous]

^ honestly, said to my DD. My DD unfortunately had to drop French. Something had to go. Not enough space in her schedule. STEM was her future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two for sure, which he has.

Four to be safe.

Sometimes you just need to make your choice and see what happens. He’ll certainly get in somewhere.

He has 4 years, if you count high school courses taken in middle school since he took Spanish I in 7th . Does that count?

The answer is, it depends on the college. Princeton says they want to see you take four years of one language in your four years of high school. UVA seems to have a similar requirement. But what he’s already done is enough for most colleges.

Even that depends. Mine applied to a T10 college that preferred 4 years of language and social studies. Had 3 of each due to scheduling issues with magnet program and school discontinuing 4th year of language. Got in. Know several other students there that did not have the preferred number of courses on a subject.

If he feels strongly about it, take chem and ask if counselor would write that he was unable to take Spanish due to scheduling conflict. If so, he should also enter that in common app in additional info section.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really depends on the schools. My 2 kids are at UMD and both had just 2 years in HS. Between them they were also accepted to U of Miami, Gettysburg, Dickinson, Skidmore off the top of my head.

UMD is a great school, but it is not a good reference for world language requirements because it matches the Maryland state HS graduation requirements. For world language it is 2 years of the same language in high school.

[Anonymous]

AP World language shows rigor Irrespective of year count. Next preferred is 5 years or 4 years if it wasn't started in middle school.

[Anonymous]

As with most things, I think it depends/ymmv. Each college reports their requirements for admittance, but for any selective school, the bar is higher.

In FCPS, MS language is on the HS transcript and the grade is factored into the GPA. And yes, it was bizarre for my kid to enter their MS French class into the SRAR (I think for VT).

Generally speaking, foreign language is now considered the 5th core academic subject so the goal should be 4 years in HS, or maxing out the curriculum, whichever comes first.

Make the decision that's best for your student and let the chips fall where they may. My college aged DC skipped French senior year in favor of an extra history course, which aligned with his interests/desired major. DC's acceptances were all over the map, but they did end up being admitted to 1 reach (T20).

[Anonymous]

I don't get the whole MS vs HS thing-

Kid #1 starts Spanish 1 in 9th, finishes Spanish 4 in 12th

Kid #2 starts Spanish 3 in 9th (2 years in MS), finishes with Spanish 4 in 10th

They both went through level 4, but kid #2 freed up their schedule for an extra AP class in both 11th and 12th. But kid #1 is more desirable for colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the whole MS vs HS thing-

Kid #1 starts Spanish 1 in 9th, finishes Spanish 4 in 12th

Kid #2 starts Spanish 3 in 9th (2 years in MS), finishes with Spanish 4 in 10th

They both went through level 4, but kid #2 freed up their schedule for an extra AP class in both 11th and 12th. But kid #1 is more desirable for colleges?

Middle school language instruction is not considered the same -- even when the same curriculum - as high school-level instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the whole MS vs HS thing-

Kid #1 starts Spanish 1 in 9th, finishes Spanish 4 in 12th

Kid #2 starts Spanish 3 in 9th (2 years in MS), finishes with Spanish 4 in 10th

They both went through level 4, but kid #2 freed up their schedule for an extra AP class in both 11th and 12th. But kid #1 is more desirable for colleges?

Middle school language instruction is not considered the same -- even when the same curriculum - as high school-level instruction.

Yes, because elite universities want to think they are creating citizens of the world who will increasingly have to engage in foreign languages in the global economy. That's why these colleges have their own foreign language requirement on top
of the high school languages. Hence they are looking for students who take foreign language seriously, and have taken the most rigorous courses in that language offeredby your high school. Someone who quits early looks like they are just going through the motions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two for sure, which he has.

Four to be safe.

Sometimes you just need to make your choice and see what happens. He’ll certainly get in somewhere.

He has 4 years, if you count high school courses taken in middle school since he took Spanish I in 7th . Does that count?

That does NOT count at most colleges. Does algebra count as a year of math if you take it in 8th grade?