foreign language importance in HS

[Anonymous]

How important is foreign language in HS in terms of applications to top tier schools? Is it really important to take more than the required 3 years of foreign language if a student is interested in continuing other interests like music and additional science classes? Trying to figure out how to prioritize electives. TIA for thoughts and experiences.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Many top notch colleges actually require 4 years of the same language.

[Anonymous]

It is considered a core class - it is not considered "an elective", not by colleges.

[Anonymous]

Don't get this at all.. They don't teach in that foreign language. It's English all the way. Why bother with this requirement?

[Anonymous]

Four years of a foreign language is standard for most top colleges.

[Anonymous]

Look at the admissions websites if schools your child is interested in. They will list their requirements for foreign language (and everything else).

[Anonymous]

Another important thing to know:

the 3 years required for a VA advanced diploma includes work done in middle school.

the better colleges don't care what you did in middle school, and want study through jr year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't get this at all.. They don't teach in that foreign language. It's English all the way. Why bother with this requirement?

Wut?

My DC's French class is 100% in French.

What are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Foreign Languages in HS are one of the most rigorous courses. It requires a lot of dedication and out of class practice to do well in a foreign language...that is what colleges are looking for.

[Anonymous]

What is important—the language itself or showing years of study of a language?

Let’s say you move to the US as 9th grader from the Philippines. Tagalog is your native language and of course you are fluent. Your family encouraged learning English from elementary school and you are fluent in that as well. Have you meant the foreign language requirement since you are bilingual or must you spend 3-4 yrs learning French, Spanish, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is important—the language itself or showing years of study of a language?

Let’s say you move to the US as 9th grader from the Philippines. Tagalog is your native language and of course you are fluent. Your family encouraged learning English from elementary school and you are fluent in that as well. Have you meant the foreign language requirement since you are bilingual or must you spend 3-4 yrs learning French, Spanish, etc?

Yes, unfortunately you must. It's a complete and utter waste of time because 99% of the kids never become fluent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at the admissions websites if schools your child is interested in. They will list their requirements for foreign language (and everything else).

Don't assume the required "minimum" will give you the best chance of getting into a particular school. If your high school offers 4 (or 5) years of a foreign language, more competitive colleges will wonder why you didn't take them as other kids applying from your school may have. They typically would also like to see it in the same language as the upper level courses are more rigorous. That being said, it's not an insurmountable obstacle of there are other areas of strength in the application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is important—the language itself or showing years of study of a language?

Let’s say you move to the US as 9th grader from the Philippines. Tagalog is your native language and of course you are fluent. Your family encouraged learning English from elementary school and you are fluent in that as well. Have you meant the foreign language requirement since you are bilingual or must you spend 3-4 yrs learning French, Spanish, etc?

I think you will need 3-4 years of HS foreign language, unless you can test out of it. Even then, you should take the AP Language test to get college credit.

[Anonymous]

the better colleges don't care what you did in middle school, and want study through jr year

But they care that the student can prove fluency in order to fulfill the college FL requirement and graduate from college. Yes, some students at the end of HS "test out" of the college FL requirement. Few do. College students then, depending on major, must take FL in college and if you don't come in with strong skills you are not likely to graduate college. Often this is when a student has stopped FL as a Jr in HS, or the soonest they can. Re: college, it's not just getting in, it's getting out.

[Anonymous]

^ "prove fluency" does not mean the student is truly fluent, but it's still a difficult bar for many. I agree w/a PP re: fluency