<p>Being defeatist isn’t impressive, either. There ARE some meaningful things you can do. </p>
<p>For starters, don’t just say, “Language isn’t one of my passions, so I dropped it after 9th grade.” Say, “I am fully bilingual in _____ and English, and I also took (4) years of French in middle school and high school.” Doesn’t that sound better? Think about how you are presenting yourself.</p>
<p>Second, does your high school offer courses in your home language? If so, take the most advanced one they will let you take next year. If not, find a class somewhere else that you can take so that you can read well, and you have some systematic knowledge of grammar, syntax, and adult vocabulary, not just the ability to argue with your mom. Put that on your application (and see if you can get it onto your high school transcript). You won’t have taken four years of study in one language in high school, but you will have shown that you understand what Harvard wants and have done what you can to comply.</p>
<p>Note that my critique was NOT that you were unimpressive. It’s that you failed to demonstrate that you understand Harvard’s educational values. No one is “impressive” in every area. Like all other applicants, you will be impressive in some ways and not in others. Sometimes what matters is that you acknowledge what other people consider important, even if that’s not what is most important to you.</p>