5 years of foreign language recommended for UVA?

[Anonymous]

I understand that only 2 years of foreign language is required for UVA, but I read something that said 5 years were recommended. Anyone have a child that went through the application process and know about this? My DC only started taking a foreign language as a 9th grader so she will not be taking 5 years of a language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand that only 2 years of foreign language is required for UVA, but I read something that said 5 years were recommended. Anyone have a child that went through the application process and know about this? My DC only started taking a foreign language as a 9th grader so she will not be taking 5 years of a language.

Many kids who take IB and AP at NOVA high schools start language in 8th grade which would indeed give them five years of language. They learn very little in 8th grade though, so as long as you took a rigorous course load it's hard to see UVA caring whether you've had 4 or 5 years of language.

[Anonymous]

Does UVa actually say that? I can see 3 or 4 being recommended, but I can't see 5 - that would automatically disadvantage everyone whose 8th grade didn't offer a language.

[Anonymous]

This seems along the same lines as not being accepted because you weren't 2 years ahead in math. How much of an advantage does an AP language class really offer?

[Anonymous]

"Most rigorous available course load"

[Anonymous]

So what if you have a bunch of AP's & honors classes but just started taking foreign language in 9th grade?

[Anonymous]

I think overly competitive parents are imagining these "rules" to try to justify why their kid is superior to others.

You do not need 2 years of calculus and 5 years of a language to get into college. If you did, it would say so in the admission requirements.

[Anonymous]

Do regular elementary schools and middle schools not offer languages? My public school (as did all where I'm from) started Spanish in K.

[Anonymous]

In my county, a few elementary schools teach a language. And many but not all middle schools offer a language. My kids will be allowed to take French or Spanish in the 7th and 8th grades. If they complete both years, it is considered to be the equivalent of French I or Spanish I in high school.

[Anonymous]

It's two foreign language courses: http://records.ureg.virginia.edu/content.php?catoid=17&navoid=267

I assume you misread this, which says applicants should ideally have taken 5 academic courses per year in HS:

"Because full-time students at the University take five academic courses each term, the committee recommends that students take no fewer than four, and preferably five, academic courses (English, math, history, science, and foreign language) each year in grades nine through twelve."

[Anonymous]

In this area where motivated kids start algebra in 7th and a foreign language in 8th, competitive applicants to UVA will have a year of post AP Calculus and 5 years of foreign language. Otherwise, they are not taking the hardest available course load. Of course a STEM kid might stop at foreign language IV in order to free up a spot for an extra AP science, AP computer science or something like that. That's also most rigorous available. Of course, most IB kids will have the 5 years. And admissions requirements will be less strict in areas where MS Geometry and foreign language are not offered. But what you must have to get into UVA and what it takes from NOVA-- completely different ballgame. In DCs' FCPS MS all the strong academic kids take Geometry and a foreign language in 8th. If UVA is so important, why in the world would you not have a child on the competitive college track?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In this area where motivated kids start algebra in 7th and a foreign language in 8th, competitive applicants to UVA will have a year of post AP Calculus and 5 years of foreign language. Otherwise, they are not taking the hardest available course load. Of course a STEM kid might stop at foreign language IV in order to free up a spot for an extra AP science, AP computer science or something like that. That's also most rigorous available. Of course, most IB kids will have the 5 years. And admissions requirements will be less strict in areas where MS Geometry and foreign language are not offered. But what you must have to get into UVA and what it takes from NOVA-- completely different ballgame. In DCs' FCPS MS all the strong academic kids take Geometry and a foreign language in 8th. If UVA is so important, why in the world would you not have a child on the competitive college track?

Dear God, land the helicopter already. Kids from this area do not need "a year of post AP Calculus and 5 yrs. of foreign language" to get into UVA. This is UVA, not Harvard, for crying out loud. I have two kids currently at UVA; one finished math with Statistics (not even AP! Imagine!) and the other had three yrs. of a foreign language. Both went to a top five NOVA high school, and both were admitted to UVA. Please - stop the fear-mongering.

[Anonymous]

My 7th grader is taking Latin and algebra, so by the time she graduates HS, she'll have had six years of Latin and a year of multivariable calculus under her belt.

I hope that's enough to get into UVA.

[Anonymous]

OP, try to look at the spirit of it rather than specific recommendation you heard. UVA looks for kids who make long-term commitments to educational tracks for the sake of learning, rather than doing the bare minimum to graduate. If your child only takes four years rather than five because they started in 9th rather than 8th, that will be fine because seeing it through to graduation instead bailing after two years says a lot about your child. And even if your child does take only two years of foreign language, if they replaced it with a rigorous curriculum in a different subject area rather than extra study halls, I doubt the foreign language thing is going to make the difference.

[Anonymous]

UVA has a 30% admission rate. It would not have enough students if it required everyone to have 5 years of a foreign language. Class rank needs to be the top 10% of your high school class and test scores in the 90-95 percentile range. But calculus BC or AP languages are not required by any means.