I’m currently a Junior who is interested in science/cs. Would 2 years of foreign language be allowed or should I aim for more? I’ll be done with 2 by the end of this year and can go up to 4 years through dual credit. I’d rather fill my schedule with another science class instead. I don’t really like French and just want to get the years that I need to graduate. I would have taken it in school, but I am in orchestra and choir which take up my elective spaces. Would a third credit during the summer be a good compromise? I know that my senior year will be busy and I don’t want to overdo it by taking an eighth class again. I would be applying through Questbridge if that helps. Also, what are Brown’s hs requirements? I’ve searched before, but I’ve never found a link directly from Brown’s website.
@arwarw Thanks. I guess I’m doing three years.
Don’t close any doors, 4 is preferable
@ClarinetDad16 The website also said
Does foreign language still count more if I were replacing it w/ an AP science class? (Chemistry/ Physics C)
Is that your one and only school?
Stopping the language can hurt you at top schools. Figure out a way to do it.
Most elite colleges want you to take 4 years of all 5 core subjects.
@ClarinetDad16 I just checked and most of my schools recommend two or three. Of those that prefer 4, they’re fine with 3 if you replaced the 4th language credit w/ another rigorous course.
Best of luck in your college search.
@ClarinetDad16 Ok, thanks for the advice! I’ll definitely aim for four credits.
What matters for foreign language is level reached. Because foreign language classes in college are much more intense than in high school, a student with HS level 2 would take College level2 then College level3 (2 very intense semesters) and have the equivalent of 4 his units (and, depending on the college, could even try to take the AP exam). However you need to check whether that’s possible at the college nearest your school (not all cc 's offer level3.)
My son is at Brown and only took two years of Spanish - 9th and 10th grades. I’m not recommending anything to you as far as what to take, and I don’t want to hurt your application, but I’m only saying what happened with my son.
My son is a Junior at Brown. He was accepted with only two years of Spanish as well. He did not want to give up orchestra as his elective every year. He did take three AP classes each semester his last two years in high school.
I took Latin my freshman and sophomore year of high school but I was at Latin 3 (the equivalent of 3 years of high school Latin) by the end of my sophomore year. Then I switched to French and took that junior year, but was unable to take a second year of French because senior-year scheduling was so rough… How bad does this look?
If Brown has a language requirement please take it now in high school. Since you don’t love it, it will be even more painful at the college level. The best thing you can do for yourself right now as a person who doesn’t like learning the foreign language is to position yourself to place out of the college language requirements. You’ll thank yourself in 3 years or so.
^^^ Brown has an open curriculum. No language requirement, other than any that may be required for a specific major.
^^^ But look at your other schools too since Brown has a very low acceptance rate.
How do you think that two years of a foreign language is treated by Brown, etc. if those are the 2nd and 3rd years by level? Many students get credit for one year of a foreign language (often by placement test) for several years taken during middle school.
Do colleges view this situation as two years, three years or something in between?
Colleges treat foreign language as a “level” subject (like math). So, if you reach level 4 junior year, it counts as “4 years”.
we moved school districts 7th,8th and 9th grade so my daughter ended up doing AP Spanish this year, her sophomore year (every school district organizes their Spanish curriculum a little differently). We are asian (Indian). She does not intend to do a second language anymore. Is that ok? Is AP Spanish level 4 or level 5? She is doing well and hopes to get a good AP Score.