Hi,
I am a rising senior who really wants to go to Harvard University. How important is four years of foreign language for Harvard admissions? I stupidly chose a language that I am not at all interested in, and now I want to become fluent in German in about 3 months for the German with listening subject test. It’s very hard trying to become fluent in German when you have other priorities during the summer. Can the subject test be used to indicate fluency in German? Is it worth my time to become fluent in German for Harvard admissions?
FYI, my grades are good (6 APs last year) and I have a 1600 SAT and 36 ACT. I am a STEM person who had already taken most of the STEM AP courses in my school.
Thank you
So much activity.
See what they recommend on their admissions website. I don’t think 4 years matters. They like spikey kids who have particular stand out talent in addition to showing some competency across the board. If you have some foreign language it may be good enough, if you also show you have used your time wisely and hunkered down and challenged yourself with rigorous and in depth courses in other areas.
I have taken 2 years of Spanish in high school by the way, but I quit learning it after realizing that I was not interested in it any longer. Like I said in the original post, I am trying to become almost fluent in German in 3 months after I started last month. I do not believe that this is possible as this takes so much of my time during a day (About 6 hours). Even if I somehow accomplish this, do you think that it’s worth taking the German with listening subject test to make up for not taking 4 years of a foreign language?
Harvard expects level 4 or AP. Of course if you’re extraordinary (like olympic level in science or sport) they’ll accept level 3.
2 years will not cut it.
As for German, first, the subject test tests elementary-intermediate level German (CEF A2/ACTFL Elementary high to intermediate). It’s nowhere near fluent but it’s very hard to get a 700+, in a couple months, on your own unless you have lived there or have a German speaking relative/friend to help you with fluency (spoken language fluidity).
Keep in mind that you’ll also have a foreign language requirement for college graduation, not just at Harvard but at almost all colleges. The more you take in high school the higher the likelihood you’ll place well in college and will have fewer semesters to take.
Anyway, what you should do is find a community college bear you that offers German and see if your HS can let you dual enroll for that. Level one in college covers year1+2, college level 2+3 meets the minimum for top schools.
I do not believe that my school would let me dual enroll in a community college.
I guess that I have no chance at Harvard then. But not all Harvard graduates are successful in their lives anyway. MIT accepts 2 years of a foreign language, so maybe I can get accepted there. Thank you all for the wonderful help.
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