Foreign Language: French

Hi everyone,

From 9th to 10th grade 1st semester, I took French I and half of II, but I stopped taking it in second semester because I switched to a school that didn’t offer it. I am shooting for pre-med in one of the HYPSM’s, so foreign language isn’t the most relevant. Do I have to continue taking French? Are there any online French courses?

Most colleges require at least 3 years of foreign language (especially HYPSM) so you should definitely look for an online course or a local college course.

Elite schools prefer or require 4 years of foreign language. The good news is that there is no reason to go to HYPSM before Med School. You can go to any flagship, work hard, get top grades (and score well on the MCAT) and get into Med School. The schools don’t really care about the prestige of the applicant’s college and no one ever cares where their doctor went to undergrad. For that matter, if your are a good doctor, no one cares where you went to Med School.

Many non-elite colleges want to see foreign language, usually wanting the equivalent of high school level 2 or level 3. Since you have only completed high school level 1.5, you may have problems there, unless you know another foreign language to a higher level and can prove it (completion of higher level course or standardized test may be accepted by some colleges, but check to see if that is the case with each college).

@yonceonhismouth @snarlatron @ucbalumnus I am a rising junior, so I still have time to complete French. Are there any convenient online courses that you guys would recommend?

Is there a local college where you can take French courses of the appropriate level?

You’d have to take college French 1, 2, and 3 as 1 1/2 years in high school isn’t sufficient to place into college french 2