<p>I have one question.
1) In 9th grade I didn't take any foreign language. In 10-12 I take Spanish. Does only 3 years instead of recommending 4 hurt my chance?
2) Should I take Spanish or Latin? My school offers Latin but I think Spanish is more useful. Btw you cannot use Latin more than Spanish here. So if I apply to Harvard, will my chance of being rejected higher if I take Spanish instead of Latin?</p>
<p>Are you a freshman? If so 3 years will not be too big of a deal - It would be worse to drop it senior year.</p>
<p>As for the Spanish vs. Latin question, 1) Spanish is indeed more useful. However 2) Latin could make you stand out a bit (perhaps if you put down you want to be a classics major). Harvard loves to take classics kids.</p>
<p>^ That’s pretty shotty advice. Only take Latin if it interests you. Only put down Classics major if that’s what you actually want to do. Don’t try and fit some mold. Be yourself.</p>
<p>I took Spanish in 9th and 10th, but didn’t take any this year and don’t plan to next year. I didn’t take any more, however, due to scheduling conflicts. I had the opportunity to take Spanish 3 online, but didn’t want to. Is that really bad?</p>
<p>What did you take in its place? If it was an AP class it might not look as bad as taking a TA class or something in its place.</p>
<p>I only took 3 years of language in high school and I got in <3</p>
<p>Although, I took Spanish 1, 2, and self studied 3 so that I could skip into 4.</p>
<p>I took 5 AP’s and leadership last year. Leadership was 4th hour, and spanish 3 was not offered at that time. In fact, I don’t believe spanish 3 was offered at all this year. Next year I will have 5 ap’s and 2 dual enrollment courses.</p>
<p>The thing is that I can take it through florida virtual school over the summer. Is it really a big difference if I put in the effort and take that 3rd year of spanish online?</p>
<p>If it makes a difference, my school is like 70% hispanic and I can communicate fluently in spanish.</p>
<p>Well yeah I don’t speak Spanish. Im an Asian
So what about Harvard vs modern kids? Anyone here take 3 years of a language that is not Latin consequently without skipping and still got in?</p>
<p>look…the language thing is not such a big deal. I personally know kids who took 4 years of one language w/ AP and started a 2nd year of language in hs and still didn’t get in. You should be able to communicate in a foreign language relatively well, but the idea behind it is slightly different. Harvard wants an open-minded, global perspective class. Therefore, one of the best ways to immerse yourself to the world is by speaking the world’s language. It’s kinda like how the Rhodes scholarship asks that you demonstrate your ability to contribute back to society…somehow marked by fondness and success in sports??? Obviously they take that requirement more loosely now.</p>
<p>I.e. be global minded, take a rigorous course load, and you’ll be fine. If you want to take latin, do that. If you want to take spanish, do that. Just stick to one, and don’t try to mold yourself into the ideal Harvard candidate. They already have plenty of those :P</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Anyone with scheduling problems (no Spanish offered, or a conflict with another, more important class) can write a brief note to be enclosed with your transcript, or the guidance counselor can do it (although they tend not to want to say anything that implies a problem with the school). We wrote a note about a number of things, actually (our daughter was out of school for a while). </p>
<p>The best thing to do is to call admissions and ask.</p>
<p>Most freshman that our daughter knows at Harvard, took a foreign language. The foreign language classes are great, and very friendly, not scary or difficult. A lot more conversation than in high school. The teachers were grad students. Lost of humor. </p>
<p>So relax!</p>