<p>For the happy dudes who got into prestigious/favorite colleges and took only 2/3 years of Foreign Language (rebelling against the recommended 3/4), care to share some stories of something in their apps that filled that FL hole? (Or is there even a hole? Maybe filling your schedule with AP's is enough to show a challenging schedule)</p>
<p>Thanks CCers. Looking forward to some replies</p>
<p>Out of sheer curiosity, why would anyone ‘rebel’ against learning a foreign language proficiently? Americans are so behind many other countries who learn much earlier and generally more than one language. This is not a question about college acceptance or hs transcripts. I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to learn for your own purposes. It’s a big world out there.</p>
<p>My school offers two years of spanish. That is all. So…^ yeah that’s why. </p>
<p>Oh and computers counts as a second language for the graduation requirement. Kinda sad.</p>
<p>Samiiilee - shame on your school. Obviously you can’t do anything about that. Most kids who are asking have it available, but want validation that others are not taking it as well (ie rebel).</p>
<p>
Americans are not “behind” in any way. A second language in the United States has marginal benefit given the nation (plus Canada) spans a continent where everyone speaks English.</p>
<p>By “other countries”, you are using a very Euro-centric view. Learning a second language in Europe makes sense because the nations are so small and often insignificant. However, learning a second language still isn’t that common in parts of the world with a similar geography and demographic as the United States. The United States leads the way in the instruction of foreign languages given a nation with our circumstances.</p>
<p>Thanks for your opinion. I don’t agree, however respect yours. It’s well explained and I appreciate that.</p>
<p>Btw, my family is from one of those small, insignificant countries in Europe. They speak 3-4 languages by graduation…fluently.</p>
<p>Poor word choice I guess, I dont mean rebel.</p>
<p>It’s just that I’m not enjoying Spanish as much as other subjects like math and science. So instead of Span 4/AP I was wondering if anyone took Math/Science AP’s to replace it and still got into reach schools etc.</p>
<p>My daughter has only taken two years of foreign language and she has one acceptance from a tier 1 top 30 school, and has passed academic prereads at several other top schools, including Ivy league schools. She chose to persue the fine arts track at her school, which left no room for more years of foreign language. Also, she plans to study a language not offered at her school when she is in college. The admissions reps we spoke with told us that if you meet the foreign language requirement for your school district’s college bound student track, a minimum of two years, that is generally acceptable.</p>
<p>Hey,
I’m sorry if</p>
<p>Hey, sorry for bumping in, but I don’t wanna start another thread.</p>
<p>I was wondering wether it helps to be passionate about foreign languages (I know they help a lot in life), but my question reffers specifically to college admission.</p>
<p>I will be speaking 6 languages (1 native, 5 foreign) by the time I graduate. Will that help in any way ?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I homeschooled my kids. Starting when my son was in 3rd grade (and daughter was in K), we worked on Spanish. My daughter has a natural ability with language, and did quite well. My son, who is not that communicative in English, did poorly. After 9th grade, I gave up. When I created his transcript, I put Spanish I as 8th grade, and Spanish II in 9th. </p>
<p>He got EA to Caltech and MIT, who have no language requirement (they know their student body!!), he also got into UCLA, Berkeley, and UCSD (obviously, he did not apply using A-G requirements, he did it 'By Exam"). Oddly, he was turned down by UCSC.</p>
<p>Since he got into his first two choices, EA, he did not apply to his other schools, but after I talked to adcoms from other schools (like Princeton…) I got the impression that languages were one of the more fuzzy, negotiable requirements.</p>
<p>A disclaimer - my son was one of the top students in his field. Someone told me they thought he would have gotten in if I had written his transcript on a roll of toilet paper. YMMV.</p>
<p>To Cupcakee - yes, of course, it will look great. Make sure the adcoms realize it is your passion, and how good you are…</p>
<p>Fishymom, it’s important to not your DD is a recruited athlete, not many unhooked getting into ivies/peers without having challenged themselves in a language. FWIW blue iguana, totally agree.</p>
<p>D and S are studying STEM fields…one took only 2 years of language (but also two years of computer science classes, including APCS) and the other 3 years of language (took CS plus PLTW)</p>
<p>Between the two of them – acceptances to MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Michigan, Carnegie, U of I, and all their safeties.
Only rejections were Stanford and Princeton( which clearly states 4 years required). </p>
<p>They are studying in STEM fields…so clearly foreign language didn’t really matter. But of all schools noted, none other than Princeton had more than 2 year language requirement noted for the fields to which they had applied.</p>
<p>If the school has a language requirement for admissions, then if you don’t have it – you will very likely not be accepted.</p>
<p>@anotherparent</p>
<p>Thats a really cool story, thank you for sharing. Sheds some hope for me. Im not that passionate about language.Hope it really is a fuzzy requirement. Thanks again :)</p>
<p>@overachiever</p>
<p>Well I have read that Stanford’s FL is recommended (ex 4 years of Spanish and Math is same to 3 years of Spanish and 5 Years of Math. ) I think I read that from the site. Thanks for your input though, great schools :)</p>
<p>I completed only one year of Spanish (although in the latter half of the year I pursued it at the highest level available at my high school). I am currently a freshman at Harvard and was admitted to other universities that highly recommend four years of study in a single foreign language.</p>
<p>@ blueiguana
It is a shame but it is a very small rural public school…not much money to pay teachers and whatnot. So understandable. </p>
<p>On another interesting note, my school used to have sign language as a foreign language option. The state deaf school is located nearby and so they would bus kids over there to take them. I wonder what Ivies would think of that…(just wondering, I personally opted for Spanish). Alas, it was cut (darn economy! lol )</p>
<p>@mifune</p>
<p>So you took Spanish 1 to Spanish 5 in one year? That’s impressive…</p>
<p>I began the year in Spanish III and transferred to the AP course (“Spanish V”) at midyear.</p>
<p>SentimentGX4 - is your statement that Americans are not behind in any way based on anything other than patriotism? Nearly every college bound or college educated foreign individual I’ve met speaks at least one foreign language adequately or better. Many speak several. And don’t get me started on Americans limited knowledge of world geography…</p>
<p>@blueiguana… totally agree with you.</p>