<p>Ds took Spanish 1 and 2 in 8th and 9th grades. During his sophomore year, there was a scheduling conflict, so he had to drop Spanish 3. This last year (junior year) he was homeschooled. Couldn't get into the community college's class, so we just let it go; not sure what I was thinking. </p>
<p>Now he is returning to public school (they do have block scheduling). What to do? He needs two more years. What will look the best to colleges? I know this will all look bad on his transcript and I'm extra worried because he may apply early somewhere.</p>
<p>Can he get into Spanish 3 for senior year? My kid (also homeschooled, but took a few classes at the high school) only did 3 years of Spanish (10th,11th,12th) and he got into a very selective college - also applied ED. The school did say on its website it recommended 4 years of foreign language, but it’s just a recommendation. If your son plans on finishing Spanish 3, his admissions decisions will mostly be made on the other strengths of his overall application.</p>
<p>He should definitely find a way to take Spanish 3 his senior year, but at this point, I wouldn’t fret about it beyond that, and just help him focus his applications on the strongest elements of his transcript/EC’s, etc.</p>
<p>I agree that he should definitely find a way to take Spanish 3 senior year. But before he gets placed in that level, he might be asked to take a placement test. Therefore, I would suggest that he try to do some extra work over the summer. His Spanish “life” has been a little scattered, and Spanish at the higher levels, from 3 on, can be difficult. Also, if he did some work over the summer, even if it is online, it will look as though he cared about it and wanted to fix whatever gaps he could, realizing that these gaps do exist. I am a Spanish teacher.</p>
<p>If he takes a third year of Spanish next year he’ll be fine, three years is all that is generally needed. My kids hate language, took the required three years, still got into Yale and Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Franglish has an excellent point about getting up to speed. My older kids couldn’t even place out of one year of their preferred foreign language for college after a one year break. I think that FL is a use it or lose it skill. Also, make sure that Spanish I is listed on the transcripts as a High School class. In our district, it would not count. Could your son take a class at a local Community College this summer or maybe do one on-line?</p>
<p>Thank you all. Franglish, very good point about brushing up on his skills and exactly what I was worried about (other than how this all looks on transcript).</p>
<p>Kathiep, the 8th grade Spanish will not listed on his transcript! Another reason I am very worried.</p>
<p>Do community college classes show up on a high school transcript? Online classes?</p>
<p>@Lisabees. My understanding is that Community Colleges classes do not show up on a HS Transcript. You will need to request transcript from the CC. Additionally, depending on the Online class. For some state virtual schools the online classes do appear on the HS Transcript. </p>
<p>How about some summer study to make sure he will be okay in spanish 3?
Most college aps, including the common app have places to list online and college courses so you can put it there. Don’t worry about 8th grade spanish not showing up - taking spanish 2 in 9th implies spanish 1 or equivalent before.</p>
<p>Every school district is different - our school district lists foreign language, biology, and certain math classes taken in 8th grade on a students transcript because they “count” as high school classes. Check with your school for community college and 8th grade classes. If Spanish 1 is not listed on the transcript do colleges just assume it was taken since Spanish 2 is listed?
just saw nemom’s comment about spanish 1 and 2.</p>
<p>Re online language courses - some of them have transcripts that they can send directly to the college in addition to your highschool transcript. My d has taken her language with online classes - two years within the school day so it is listed on her HS transcript and one year not within the school day so we will send the transcript separately. Also a year at her previous school and we will send a transcript from there as well!</p>
<p>What do you all think of this idea? Over the summer, ds uses an online Spanish tutor so he can catch up to Spanish 3, which he would take in the fall semester of his senior year. Can we acknowledge the tutoring in the college app, if we do it 2x/week?</p>
<p>I am still worried that he may need another year, since he took Spanish 1 in 8th grade. </p>
<p>The guidance counselor confirmed that online courses and cc courses are done on our own and added separately on the college app.</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter how many years he “physically” took language courses in high school. What matters for those colleges that recommend 4 years of one foreign language is that he “completed” or placed through level 4.</p>
<p>In practice a small but significant number of middle (and even elementary) school students are in language immersion programs. They take placement tests when they get into high school to determine their level. Some of these students may in fact have been in dual language programs where the foreign language was the dominant language. These students may even place beyond the equivalent of language 4, as into language AP, or language literature. Colleges have seen all the language placement combinations. They don’t expect the immersion details to appear on the high school transcript. In short you shouldn’t be worrying about the how of your son completing Spanish 4 but simply that he completes it. The final class and final grade will appear on his high school transcript.</p>
<p>I very much encourage you not to worry so much about getting your son through Spanish 4, but to make sure first that he is successful in Spanish 3. A 2 year gap in early language study is very hard to overcome without in effect restarting.</p>
<p>If you’re still not convinced, contact one or two of the colleges to which your son is likely to apply and ask what they mean by 4 years (or whatever level) of language study.</p>
<p>Do you have any idea what types of programs your S might be interested in applying for? My S was applying to engineering and CS programs, and none of them seemed bothered by French 1 in middle school, 2 and 3 in HS (he wanted to take more, but they conflicted with his math/science APs which were higher priority for him). French 1 does not show up on his transcript at all. So all they see is the 2 years, with the middle school year implied by the numbers. </p>
<p>I’m not sure what you mean by acknowledging the tutoring in the college app. He could certainly mention it in the “anything else you want to tell us” section most apps have, but what would be the point?</p>
<p>When I looked into this for my S, what I found was that (as usual) it depends on the school. Some schools <em>require</em> (whatever it is that they want) and other schools <em>recommend</em>. And some schools only count the number of years studied <em>while in high school</em> while others care more about what level the student has completed. So some schools considered my son taking 1 in MS; 2 and 3 in HS as 2 years of foreign language “in high school” and others considered it three years of high-school-level foreign language.</p>