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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My oldest is 11th grade so I can't firsthand answer your question, OP.  But, within the last few years my sister's daughter finished FL in grade 11 at spanish 4 honors because the ap spanish class didn't fit into her schedule senior year so that she could fit in ap calculus and ap statistics which she considered more relevant for her interests than ap spanish. She was a top student in her graduating class with strong sat scores but did not get into UVA as an out of state student (of course always a crapshoot) and after the fact was told that [b]UVA [/b]admissions considered it a negative that she didn't continue into ap spanish as a senior. [/quote]

UVA is very clear that it wants to see applicants take the most rigorous and advanced courses offered by the high school. In fact, the counselor is asked to check off a box marked “did this student take the most rigorous courses offered”. Also, a profile of the high school class is sent which shows exactly what foreign language courses are offered and where or not Honors and AP foreign language courses were offered. Ideally they would also like to see high scores in the SAT subject matter test in a language. (A friend’s son got into Princeton with an 800 on the SAT II test in Latin). AP tests might also get you out of some of the college foreign language requirements - UVA’s is two years. The admissions office looks upon the completion of four years as a demonstration of ability to apply one’s self to a multi-year project, much like  national awards or advanced levels in scouting. They also want to see the applicant’s interested in becoming citizens of the world, doing research overseas, winning Fulbrights, etc.
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Okay, but wouldn't taking math thru ap calculus and ap stats also indicate a most rigorous course load? I know that her counselor gave her schedule that designation. It was a choice whether to take ap spanish or ap stats in her senior year schedule, because they conflicted. Apparently her counselor had added a note to her application indicating the reason she was unable to take ap spanish. My niece was given the impression by UVA admissions that they would have preferred she pick up level 1 of a new language simply to have 4 years of FL taken while in high school, which seems very form over substance to me.[/quote]

Perhaps but then at UVA she would be given the choicel again to pick any language to study for two or more years (an amazing range including Esperanto and Urdu). My DC switched from Spanish after four years to German, which may have helped him later get into  Oxbridge because some of the original texts he is using are in German. What you don’t want to hear is that you, your daughter and counselor should have planned out her schedule starting sophomore year so this didn’t happen. And,  if it happens, then you do what my DC did, which is take the language courses, or in her case AP/college chemistry, at a community college. She also registered as a non-degree student at George Mason University for extra courses I. Evenings and summers. UVA took the credits but not the grades but I suspect the added grit demonstrated by taking college courses helped his application.[/quote]

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