Hi,
I am junior and I just found many schools(e.g. U of Washington, U of Michigan, UC, Purdue, etc) require 2-year of foreign language. I didn’t take any foreign language class but I have got a 5 in AP Chinese, would this fulfill the foreign language requirement?
Did you self-study for the AP exam? Is it a heritage language for you? Generally speaking, if the class doesn’t appear on your transcript, it won’t carry much weight in terms of admissions.
I self-studies it. But my focus is without taking a course, I don’t even meet the minimum admission requirement, which means I am not eligible to apply to this school, right?
Also as I am in junior already, there is no time for me take another 2 years of FL class, does taking 1 year high level FL in senior help?
As most good schools in US have this FL requirements, it seems to me I am not going to get into any of those schools.
On the college web sites regarding foreign language frosh admission requirements:
If you need actual course work in a foreign language, try to find if you can take a Chinese language course (in high school or college) that is higher level than the beginner course, so that you can complete the highest level you can before high school graduation (many colleges really mean “completion of level 2” when they say “2 years”; with an AP 5, you may be able to place higher than 2nd year high school or 2nd semester college).
Typically self-studying for an AP is not the equivalent of taking a course for college admissions - this would be especially true if Chinese is a language you grew up speaking.
For a definitive answer you should contact the admission officers at the colleges you are interested in to ask your question.
Consider taking one class over the summer and one next year to reach level two or possibly take two semesters at a local college.
Thank you. If taking two semester at local college in senior year, will that meet 2 year requirements?
Will you be an international applicant?
If your primary language is not English and you took English classes those count at many colleges.
If you live in the US take Duel enrollment courses this summer and next Fall and Spring ( some colleges are looking for three years or the equivalent, like college semesters, of the same language. Or just take the college classes if duel enrollment is not an option at your school.
No one is impressed with AP test scores without the classes besides College Board who creates the tests. Please do not waste your time on any more self study AP tests.
Yes - I just posted that at the same time in the thread.
That is a great solution.
This is only for the California UC’s and CSU’s:
Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Exam in Chinese Language and Culture, French Language and Culture, German Language and Culture, Italian Language and Culture, Japanese Language and Culture, Spanish Language, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture or Latin; score of 5, 6 or 7 on an IB Language A2 HL exam.
Grade of C or better in any transferable course(s) (excluding conversation) held by the college to be equivalent to two years of high school language. Many colleges list the prerequisites for their second course in language as “Language 1 at this college or two years of high school language.” In this case, Language 1 clears both years of the requirement.
However, the UC’s recommend 3 years of a Foreign Language especially for the competitive UC’s and would prefer to see you take the actual courses with grades.
@bobthebest im just curious. Where are you going to high school that a college bound student wouldn’t be directed by the school counselors to take foreign language…at least to level 2 but preferably to 3 or 4. Many many colleges have a foreign language requirement for college admissions. How is it that this wasn’t addressed before now?
Semester 2 of college foreign language is usually equal to or higher than year 2 of high school foreign language, but that can depend on the college and high school. However, if you have a 5 in AP Chinese, you are likely to be able to place into a higher level course than college semester 1 to start with if you choose Chinese as the language.
Two semesters at college (ex. Spanish 1 and Spanish 2) would count as two years of foreign language.
FWIW (assuming you are at a US high school) your guidance counselor really dropped the ball on this.
Not sure where you live but perhaps there is community college that has 2 summer sessions and you could take Chinese 1 first session and Chinese 2 the second semester. That would likely count for 3 yrs of hs language. (At least it would here in California)
Another suggestion is ASL 1 over the summer and then ASL 2 the fall of your senior year. That would be 3 years as well.
(insert any other foreign language)
For LOTE in California, a community college level one class will give you credit for 2 years of hs language
This chart explains it better. Mind you this is for California, not sure how other states do it…
There are some schools that count computer science as a foreign language. I believe Georgia Tech is one.
I am in a US high school, but it is wired, my school does not have FL as graduation requirement, although it noted in its website 4-year college would require 2-year FL. And somewhere I got impression that AP exam would ok for this requirement(as I thought the proficiency of the language in AP exam would be a good evident I have 2-year FL level). That is why I missed this requirement before my junior year, and at each year’s talk with counselor, he never pointed this out.
What state are you in?
I do agree for the counselor part. Although my school doesn’t have FL as graduation requirement, and the website indicate the “2-year” requirement for 4-year college, I think it is still his responsibility to at least remind me FL requirement, he can not just assume I am not going to consider 4-year college.
I am very upset on this because my order courses(almost all AP math, AP cs, AP science) are doing great. If I am not eligible to apply most of US college because of just FL minimum requirement(that I have no problem to get A’s), I just feel all my 4 years of endeavor in high school are wasted.
I am in UC, and I learned from above answers that UC accepts AP exam to fulfill FL requirements. However, I do want apply other college, my dream school is CMU, and I have been working hard on AMC, USACO, ECs, summer camp, etc, and I think I am doing well, I just don’t want to give up all other opportunities because of FL requirement(I don’t expect to impressed college with my FL, just want to meet minimum FL requirement).
Its not too late. Many community colleges have late start classes. You could even get 1 yr out of the way this spring If you register now. Do you have a pulse on what your local community college offers?