My S21 went to a Spanish immersion preschool and was part of a new dual language (English/Spanish) program in our public schools from K through 8th grade. As a result, he’s completely fluent in Spanish.
I know DL programs are not particularly rare so I’m not sure it’s really an admissions boost – though I’d love others’ opinions on that. He doesn’t have a ton of ECs so I feel like finding a way to mention could help him stand out – esp. as a white male applying to engineering which is his current plan. But since it ended b4 HS I’m how he’d really weave it in. Maybe the Additional Information section?
I have thought that the best route would be if it linked to current volunteering or some other HS activity, but at the moment it doesn’t.
Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.
Did he take any Spanish at all in 9th grade or after? If he did, and took a higher-level Spanish class than would be expected in 9th grade, then maybe an explanation could be woven in there. Can he do any kind of volunteer work or EC involving his Spanish skills, either in your community or small town? I live in a small town far from urban centers, and even so, we sometimes have a few recent immigrant students needing some kind of tutoring/support.
@inthegarden – He’s taking high level Spanish but so do a lot of kids who weren’t in DL. It’s just earlier for him, lol. Good suggestion re: tutoring. There’s an after school tutoring program for Latino elementary students in our community. Right now he can’t get there b/c he doesn’t have his license, but I will encourage him to look into it when he does.
I think a summary of you son’s coursework, rank etc IN CONTEXT with the high school overall will be completed by his guidance counselor to be sent with college apps. Maybe you could find out whether the guidance counselor will mention his prior immersion experience to explain his higher Spanish placement in ninth grade (or request that the counselor do so).
In the “what have you done for me lately” department, colleges will not care about his pre-K-8 DI experience, so I would not bother asking the GC to weave that in. Rather, as indicated, showing how he uses it now would go further. Tutoring, volunteering assisting immigrant families, etc, are all valid choices.
How are his actual academics? He did AP Spanish as a freshman? What about the rest of his classes? How does being bilingual help all the many Latino applicants in the USA?
@Sybylla – his academics are very good and he is taking AP Spanish this year as a Sophomore.
Not sure how to answer your last question. His elementary school was Title 1 / 45% free- and reduced lunch population and he gained a lot of cultural competencies from being in a dual language program where half of the students in his class spoke Spanish as their first language and at home. He has Latino friends in high school with whom he only speaks Spanish b/c that’s what they grew up speaking together in school.
I would say on the whole he hasn’t focused on using his language schools in the community. He’s a pretty geeky 15yo boy who studies hard and spends too much free time playing video games – not an excuse, just the truth. I’d like him to do more and will encourage that. Life is long and it is my hope being bilingual is something that he’ll appreciate more and figure out how to use more as he matures.
Geeky though he may be, he’s likely to encounter plenty of like-minded individuals if he volunteers in a Spanish-language context. He’s got plenty of time to make and discover new connections! If his Spanish-language competencies are made manifest in his HS extracurriculars, that will help tie in his K-8 dual-language background on college apps. He’s also likely to make new friends, extend his horizons, and do some good in the world. Win, win, win.
Right, as as long as you get DI means very little when he is looking at competitive engineering programs, but once he IS an engineer, the Spanish will be a huge plus should he be a global traveler. The issue now is math, sciences, academic rigour, test scores, and establishing a budget ahead of time. Your kid’s school (title1) will have ESL kids that he can volunteer tutor, his volunteering won’t even require him leaving the school. That is a direct community contribution.In my kids HS this was based in a classroom with a particular teacher offering before and after school help.
Engineering is super competitive so get him to start volunteering, creating a Spanish-language videogame club, offering to hold tutoring hours in math&science for ESL students, where he can stand out. Also, a job in a Spanish-speaking community will provide both material for essays and interview, and more “I use Spanish” material for his resume/list of activities.
Also, plan on dual-enrolling him (also called concurrent enrollment, running start, PSEO) in upper level Spanish classes.
“excellent student who plays videogames” is not going to cut it even at your flagship, let alone at competitive programs. If he’s first gen he’ll get a boost but CS/Engineering have become incredibly tough to get into.