The foreign language dilemma: need 4 years for Brown, U of Chicago?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Both my kids started foreign language in MS in MCPS and took five years total, stopping after sophomore year to accommodate other AP classes. Both took the AP test at this point and scored 5s (so did not wait to take AP level class before taking the exam, instead self-studied and took after the 5th year instead). Both admitted to top 5 schools with none of the traditional hooks.

Same here (almost), but only took 4 years of advanced foreign language and also finished sophomore year. Got into two top 5 schools. Countless other examples of other kids who did the same.

It's the depth of foreign language study these schools are interested in, not some arbitrary schedule that this depth must only be achieved during the senior year.

[Anonymous]

Most people on this thread have not said one needs to arbitrarily continue world language to 12th grade- but one does need to pursue it deeply to highest rigor which usually means through AP level If your child achieved that in 10th grade, then they certainly would not need to start a new language in 11th grade.

[Anonymous]

It is not looked upon favorably for a student to stop FL I. Senior year. They should take the AP class if offered, or most rigor. And in FCPS, middle school foreign language DOES count. It’s on the HS transcript and how many kids get the FL requirement done so they free up that credit to take something else in HS.

[Anonymous]

Mine is hoping to apply for a few top schools (Brown & Dartmouth) but will top out at 3 years of lang because, even though level 4 is theoretically possible, there aren't enough students interested to offer the class. DD is actually relieved b/c she doesn't enjoy language. She'll be applying for Env engineering and will take AP Env Sci instead of FL. Hopefully, that will be OK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine is hoping to apply for a few top schools (Brown & Dartmouth) but will top out at 3 years of lang because, even though level 4 is theoretically possible, there aren't enough students interested to offer the class. DD is actually relieved b/c she doesn't enjoy language. She'll be applying for Env engineering and will take AP Env Sci instead of FL. Hopefully, that will be OK.

What high school? Odd that a school in this area is not teaching Level 4 language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is hoping to apply for a few top schools (Brown & Dartmouth) but will top out at 3 years of lang because, even though level 4 is theoretically possible, there aren't enough students interested to offer the class. DD is actually relieved b/c she doesn't enjoy language. She'll be applying for Env engineering and will take AP Env Sci instead of FL. Hopefully, that will be OK.

What high school? Odd that a school in this area is not teaching Level 4 language.

I’m guessing it’s a language many don’t take. Our high school phased out German.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is hoping to apply for a few top schools (Brown & Dartmouth) but will top out at 3 years of lang because, even though level 4 is theoretically possible, there aren't enough students interested to offer the class. DD is actually relieved b/c she doesn't enjoy language. She'll be applying for Env engineering and will take AP Env Sci instead of FL. Hopefully, that will be OK.

What high school? Odd that a school in this area is not teaching Level 4 language.

I’m guessing it’s a language many don’t take. Our high school phased out German.

Yes, PP here. Similar situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is hoping to apply for a few top schools (Brown & Dartmouth) but will top out at 3 years of lang because, even though level 4 is theoretically possible, there aren't enough students interested to offer the class. DD is actually relieved b/c she doesn't enjoy language. She'll be applying for Env engineering and will take AP Env Sci instead of FL. Hopefully, that will be OK.

What high school? Odd that a school in this area is not teaching Level 4 language.

I’m guessing it’s a language many don’t take. Our high school phased out German.

Yes, PP here. Similar situation.

Ours is dropping upper level Latin.

[Anonymous]

Do you think these colleges frown upon 3 years of high school foreign language even if the student is definitely going in the STEM direction and has a lot of rigor and strong grades.
My DS doesn’t want to take 4th yr of high school Spanish mainly because he has other things he wants to take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think these colleges frown upon 3 years of high school foreign language even if the student is definitely going in the STEM direction and has a lot of rigor and strong grades.
My DS doesn’t want to take 4th yr of high school Spanish mainly because he has other things he wants to take.

If the overall course load is rigorous a 4th year is not necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think these colleges frown upon 3 years of high school foreign language even if the student is definitely going in the STEM direction and has a lot of rigor and strong grades.
My DS doesn’t want to take 4th yr of high school Spanish mainly because he has other things he wants to take.

World language is considered a core course. I replied up thread that I think competitive colleges want to see as much rigor possible across the board. So yes stem-oriented kids needs to take AP world language and humanities-oriented kids need to take AP calculus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid just got into U of C and did not take 4 years of language in HS, just fyi

Daughter just graduated from UChicago having been admitted with only 3 years of foreign language in HS. She did have to take some language classes at Chicago to meet Core requirements but she knocked those out her first year there. She loved UChicago. Certainly no longer the place fun goes to die!

Holy sh*t - yield protection IS real!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think these colleges frown upon 3 years of high school foreign language even if the student is definitely going in the STEM direction and has a lot of rigor and strong grades.
My DS doesn’t want to take 4th yr of high school Spanish mainly because he has other things he wants to take.

World language is considered a core course. I replied up thread that I think competitive colleges want to see as much rigor possible across the board. So yes stem-oriented kids needs to take AP world language and humanities-oriented kids need to take AP calculus.

My stem oriented kid did just fine without AP world language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think these colleges frown upon 3 years of high school foreign language even if the student is definitely going in the STEM direction and has a lot of rigor and strong grades.
My DS doesn’t want to take 4th yr of high school Spanish mainly because he has other things he wants to take.

World language is considered a core course. I replied up thread that I think competitive colleges want to see as much rigor possible across the board. So yes stem-oriented kids needs to take AP world language and humanities-oriented kids need to take AP calculus.

I agree. My DS was humanities oriented (in first year of college now) and still took AP Calculus and 4 years of science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid just got into U of C and did not take 4 years of language in HS, just fyi

What level Foreign Language did your child take up to?

I wonder if it it makes a difference if a child took MS then continued to 3 years of HS, versus start with level 1 in HS and would "have" to take to level 4 by senior year.