<p>I have a choice of taking five years of either Latin or German during high school. Which language do universities tend to prefer?</p>
<p>Universities generally prefer people taking courses for their own sake.</p>
<p>less people take german so you should take german because it’s more rare so it will help you standout a little especially if you are asian/african america/hispanic because most tend to do latin/spanish</p>
<p>It depends on the language departments of the universities. If you apply to a school that is building its classics department, the latin will help you. If a school has a strong, active German, department, that language will help you.</p>
<p>As far as I can tell, Latin and German both look good for colleges. But, as mentioned above, it often depends on the departments/focus of the university. Furthermore, you should think about how which language will be the most ENJOYABLE or USEFUL for you to learn, rather than how it would boost your application.</p>
<p>For me, I knew since middle school that I wanted to take Latin in high school, since I knew it would be helpful in further understanding English through Latin roots, and in learning medicine/anatomy. To this day, I’ve received a lot of Latin-related awards and high test scores that (I assumed) looked great on my college apps, and overall, I’ve enjoyed my experience in taking four years of Latin. I definitely do not regret taking Latin. :)</p>
<p>They want to see that you’ve taken four years (or more) of a foreign language.</p>
<p>Pick the language you want to take and take it. They won’t care which language it is.</p>
<p>^^
I agree with RedSeven.</p>
<p>Stick with one language, and master it. If possible take it through AP level and ideally through AP/Honors Literature. Do very well in the language courses, and score high (5) on the AP. That’ll get the attention of admissions.</p>