| If you are targeting top 20 colleges, do they all require 4 years of world language? Is there a way to easily find who all require 4 years of world language. Kid is in high school and she wants to decide whether to pursue 4th year. Thanks! |
Yes. The Common Data Set is your friend. And where is says "recommended", read that as "required". |
The exception being if your high school doesn’t offer that many years. In that situation it doesn’t hurt the student. |
and you should note the word "minimum" 4 years. they don't expect just 4 years they expect 6-7 including AP |
| Complete BS. Our public school had girl get into Princeton who took two years of language, one of which was in Middke School. |
What sport was she recruited for? |
Maybe she was an exception and not the norm? To play safe, you will need to look at the recommended years. |
| It might matter what class was substituted for world language. My son took linear algebra instead of a fourth year of language and was still admitted to a top-20 that recommended 4 years of language. |
6-7 years? How? My kid started taking Latin in 9th grade. His school only allows one language per year. |
There are always exceptions, but don’t count on them. Two of my kids friends are going to USC and Penn this year. Neither took physics (Ap, honors, or regular) or Ap bio. Both took 4 years of FL ( that’s all that’s offered). Public school, non-athletes, sort of unique racially but not AA/Hispanic. |
I don't think 6-7 is in any way expected. However, my kids went to a middle school where world language was required every year. 6th grade intro class, 7th grade level 1, 8th grade level 2. So then if they took that language all four years of HS, they'd have six years - 1-5+AP. Most of their classmates do not do that. Stopping after level 4 to make room in the schedule for other electives is the norm. DS really liked his language teacher so he went through level 5 but didn't take it in senior year. DD is stopping after level 4 to make room for an extra science class (her passion). |
Keep in mind that only public schools do the “middle school classes on the hs transcript” crap. If your kid goes to parochial K-8 then public hs, it’s impossible to have 7 years of Spanish. |
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My DS started full-year HS level FL in 6th grade - so by 12th grade he'll have taken 7 years of HS language study including the AP
His HS (public) allows for 2nd languages to start in 9th grade and if your kid is a linguistic genius, in 8th at the MS prior. There are plenty of kids going to top 20 colleges with these kinds of backgrounds. |
| Apparently FCPS must suck, because the maximum is 5 years, 8-12. |
| One of mine is currently in AP Spanish Lang as a sophomore, already have taken Spanish 1-4. Plans to continue to AP Span Lit for next year but may have to replace due to scheduling. Other one is currently in Spanish 5 as a sophomore but is stopping after this year and never really liked or was good at FL. Both started with Spanish 1 in 6th grade and have continued throughout hs |