<p>On the Common Application, in the section where you may report your IB/AP scores...</p>
<p>is it true that Harvard does not want to see standard level test scores (even if they are 7s?), and only wants higher level scores (although most IB students do not take HL until senior year)?</p>
<p>how important are these reported scores?</p>
<p>On teacher recommendations...</p>
<p>when should you ask your teachers? before summer so that they have time to start the recs? or after summer so not to bother them over their break?</p>
<p>Does Harvard have a foreign language requirement to get accepted? If so, where is that on the application?</p>
<p>If you wish to take a class at the local university that you are greatly passionate about, but it would lower your weighted GPA, should you still take it?</p>
<p>Thank you so much for answering all of these questions! I really appreciate it :)</p>
<p>I have no knowledge of this, but that doesn’t sound true to me. Anyone else?</p>
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<p>After summer is fine- there’s still plenty of time! But if you want to give your teachers a “heads up” before the summer, they might appreciate it (as long as you don’t rush them and expect them to have it done over summer).</p>
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<p>There is no simple “requirement” as to what courses Harvard expects applicants to have taken, so it’s not as though there’s a place on the application to fill that in. This note on Harvard’s admissions FAQ might help:</p>
<p>It is thus fairly typical for applicants to have taken four years of a foreign language, BUT that is not by any means required, or the best choice for every applicant. (I took only three years of high school Spanish, so that I could switch to taking AP Chemistry, and was accepted). It all depends on the circumstances. What are yours? Did you take a foreign language in high school? In that case you have nothing to worry about :)</p>
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<p>What a good question! When you say that it would lower your weighted GPA, is that because the course is not counted with the same weight as high school honors classes, or because you don’t expect to get a good grade? If it is the former (the weighting), I would suggest you take it! Harvard admissions doesn’t just look at a GPA by itself, and would never penalize you for taking extra college courses that you’re interested in.</p>
<p>Yes, I would like to see if anyone else has any insight on my IB reported scores question.</p>
<p>I am taking 4 years of Spanish- 1, 2, 3, and 5. I was just wondering if it was necessary to take a Spanish SAT II/AP/IB and score really well to get in.</p>
<p>Yes, it was the former. Our AP/IB courses are weighted, whereas UF courses are not. I actually am doing an independent study on African women in politics :)</p>