So Harvard and most other top schools recommend students take 4 years of a foreign language course, but the Latin program at my high school is just a complete joke, so after loving Latin 1 in middle school during 8th grade, I quit as soon as I could sophomore year because I had the 3 language credits to graduate. Will quitting Latin early be relevant to my admissions evaluation, or should I take the time to explain in the Common App additional info section?
What are your 3 language credits?
How would you compare yourself to others who might also apply from your school? Will they have 4 or 5 or 6 language credits?
It seems unlikely that Harvard would accept or reject a student on the basis of how many years a language was taken.
I think you should explain it. There will be tons of kids who have taken 4 years of a language. It’s always best to explain your circumstances.
Explain what? The original comment:
The is no way the OP can explain that comment in such a way that he does not come off looking bad. There is almost never a reason why an applicant should waste time and space explaining an academic situation; get the GC to include it on the SSR if necessary.
Will Harvard reject someone automatically because they will not have 4 years of a language? No. Will the vast majority of the 5%n of applicants who get accepted have 4+ years of a foreign language? Yes.
Do you think you can self study for the AP Latin exam? That may make it up.
When you apply to college your guidance counselor is asked to rate the rigor of your course load as compared to all other college bound students at your high school. If most college bound students at your high school are taking 4 years of Latin (even though in your estimation the classes are a joke), then your guidance counselor may NOT rate your course load as MOST DEMANDING – which is what all selective college’s are looking for. See top half of page 2 of the Secondary School Report (SSR), which your GC fills out on your behalf: http://admissions.duke.edu/images/uploads/process/school_report.pdf
Self-studying for the AP Language course on your own will NOT make-up for your lack of foreign language courses during your time at high school – that’s not how selective college admissions works. No amount of explanation on the Common Application will counter a tepid SSR, so you should really have a discussion with your GC about this, as you may have made an unwise decision regarding dropping Latin.
My DS was accepted to Harvard starting this fall with one year of Spanish followed by three years of Latin. He disliked the way Spanish was being taught (only one Spanish teacher in his school), but the Latin students were all in love with the class and the teacher. So he switched to Latin and never looked back.
He did not address the switch in any of his essays, nor was he asked about it in his H interview. Clearly, in his case, this did not hurt him.
I have taken Spanish I, II, III, and IV. However, I only have three language credits at my high school — I took Spanish I in middle school. Would I need to take Spanish V so as to meet the language requirement?
No, what counts is level reached. You can, of course, take Spanish V, but Spanish IV meets the minimum expectation.
Harvard doesn’t publish the number of incoming freshman who satisfy the Foreign Language graduation requirement by scoring a 5 on the AP Foreign Language exam, a 700+ on the SAT Foreign Language exam, or passing their placement test, but my guess would be at least half the incoming class does just that. So, regardless of the level reached at your high school, that should be your goal: http://static.fas.harvard.edu/registrar/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/language_requirement.html
Sorry, but this doesn’t bode well for you. As always with admissions, anything could happen, and Harvard does not admit people based on a strict rubric. Some students are spectacular in very specific ways, leading the admissions department to admit them despite certain gaps in their record. But obviously to stand the best chance possible it’s in your interest to maximize everything you can maximize. Dropping out of your language without following it through shows a lack of commitment, unfortunately. Also, it’s sort of silly: Harvard doesn’t know that Latin at your school is a joke. So why not take the 4 years, get great grades, and look even better?
All hope is not lost, and you can make up for this in other ways. But this still isn’t good.
More to the point - Harvard will not care if Latin is a joke at your HS.