Hey guys, it recently came to my attention that around four years of foreign language is required, or “strongly recommended” for top colleges. As an international student, foreign language courses are not offered here.
However, I am taking a Bahasa Indonesia course, my country’s native language. Since it’s my mother tongue, I don’t consider it to be a foreign language. Would colleges consider it as such? Or should I mention that my school does not offer such courses? If so, where should I place it in the common app? Lastly, does the lack of foreign language as a result of my school not offering it reduce my chances for top colleges?
Top colleges should view your application in the context of your school. Definitely mention to your counselor to make note of this in his/her LOR
If I am understanding your post correctly, you are fluently bilingual. Is this correct? Do you speak more than two languages?
I graduated high school a long time ago, from a region in which English was the less common language. Speaking English as my mother tongue and French pretty well was enough at the time (for a highly ranked US university), even though French was the dominate language where I came from and thus was not “foreign” at all. I would expect that being bilingual will be sufficient for you as well.
It depends on the college.
Bahasa Indonesian would count as your Language arts and English as your foreign language at some colleges. And at others the reverse.
Anyway if your transcript lists English and another language you’re ok, even if both are used at school.
@MYOS1634 is correct. If you’ve taken English and bahasa indonesia throughout secondary school, you’re covered. Let the college admissions office figure out which one to code as the foreign language; it’s not your concern.
Your issue, should you be accepted and decide to attend one of these top colleges, is that bahasa indonesia, as a less commonly taught language, may not exempt you from the college’s foreign language graduation requirement, if they have one. But wait to cross that bridge when you get to it.