Hi!
I am currently a rising freshman who is planning to graduate high school early. I saw that a lot of the colleges I’m looking at suggest for you to take 3 years or more of a single world language during your high school years.
Because I am planning to graduate early, I cannot take 3 years or more of a world language, and I am only able to take 2 years of Chinese. I wonder what the ramifications would be on my application if I were only to complete 2 years of Chinese.
Please, provide any advice that you think might be relevant.
Thanks for your help!
Why are you graaduating early?
I want to graduate early because I don’t really take an interest in the curriculum that my school offers, and I just don’t have much of an interest in school in general. So, I’d like to get out of school as quick as I can while still not hurting my chance at a good career.
That’s going to be a hard sell to most colleges. You see why?
That does not sound like the kind of explanation for graduating early that would make a college admission reader see your application favorably.
Right now, what do you think you’d like to do with your life? Do you have any particular career in mind? It’s OK if you don’t.
There are scads of colleges and universities out there that would be happy to admit you early, and won’t mind that you only have two years of foreign language. The questions are whether those are places you would be happy to attend, and if you and your family can afford them.
Your application will be at a disadvantage if you don’t have the recommended/required coursework. If I were in your position I would not graduate HS early.
So you are in the 8th grade and on other threads you have been chancing people for college?
Have you considered trade or technical schools?
Yeah, I’ve considered technical schools, but my parents have said that they would not support me down that path, and that they really want me to attend a reputable 4 year program.
I’m thinking of working in software engineering because I enjoy programming and I am fairly good at math. I’m also thinking of becoming a management consultant because the career seems interesting. Please, tell me about anything you think is relevant and any schools you would recommend.
Also, affording these colleges is not an issue for my parents financially. I think I would be happy at college, because I quite enjoy managing my own time, although I’m still not the best at it.
Not sure this would be something that interests you but Bard has a program for those who want to start college early.
https://simons-rock.edu/early-college/understanding-early-college/ready/5-signs-ready.php?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=bard%2520early%2520college&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI06Ty4qrP6AIVR_7jBx1efwRLEAAYASAAEgJ7D_D_BwE
I think you should look at the recommended number of years of each subject including lab science, math, foreign lang, etc at college you hope to attend. These seem pretty accurate in terms of who gets admitted or not but not 100% A school that recommends years foreign lang and has a low admissions rate is not as likely to take someone with just 2 years when they likely have a lot of applicants that meet their ‘preferred but not required’ recommendations.
Middle school is a lot different from high school so I hope your high school will surprise you and you will like it and want to be there 4 years.
you are getting way, way, WAY ahead of yourself.
Take advantage of all the hard classes your HS offers, and if you run out, then take classes at your local community college too.
but by NO means think you will be able to get into a good college with only 3 years of HS, since there will be MILLIONS of equally smart students who DID go to HS for 4 years competing against you.
Management consultants candidates are recruited from top colleges, and getting into THOSE colleges requires a lot more than just smarts.
So take one step at a time.
Get great grades in HS and check in again in 4 years time when you have standardized test results and 3 years of HS classes under your belt, including a Foreign
Language [other than the one you speak at home]and we will give you advise as to where to apply.
Then why are you looking at 4 year colleges?
Again, why are you looking at colleges? College is school, believe it or not.
You’re in 8th grade, get through freshman year first. Then you should reconsider graduating early. Colleges typically want 4 years of each core subject, and likely won’t consider admitting you without those unless you had a legitimate reason to graduate early (aka, not just being disinterested in school).
Better would be to go through high school as normal or advanced based on your achievement. If you run out of courses in any subject, try taking more advanced ones at a local college while still in high school. This will give you a more gradual sampling of college and the possibility of advanced placement in college later, while still allowing your to meet the expected high school courses for frosh admission to most colleges.
“I’m thinking of working in software engineering because I enjoy programming and I am fairly good at math.”
There are many state flagships that will give you an excellent software engineering education and accept you with only two years of language. The problem is that software engineering is a competitive program to get into (<20% acceptance rates in most of the very good programs, even though the university as a whole may have a much higher acceptance rate), and they are going to frown on fewer than four years of high school.
Your chances will be notably reduced at private colleges that have requirements or recommedations that you fail to meet.
What classes are you scheduled to take freshman year?
Is Chinese a language you’re interested in or one you speak at home?
I speak Chinese at home, and I can read and write it at a basic level.
I plan on taking Biology Honors, 10th grade English Honors, AP World History, Precalculus with Trigonometry Honors, 9th grade PE, Chinese 1, and Computer Science (AP CS A if I pass the placement exam.)
Hi all,
Thank you for your answers. I appreciate them all, and they have really helped me decide what I should do in high school. I’ve decided that I probably shouldn’t graduate so early or at least make sure that I get an extra credit of language in before I graduate. Although I’m still finalizing my plans for high school, all of your answers were really helpful for me to decide what I should do in the future.
Thanks a lot!