<p>I'm currently a sophomore in high school. I took Italian 1-2 in freshmen year, however, I dropped my Italian 3-4 this year because of schedule issues. I'm still debating if I should take Italian 3-4 in junior year, because I'm planning to take a few APs and honors. I'm completely fluent in Chinese, and planning to take the AP test for that. </p>
<p>Since Harvard RECOMMENDS four years of a language, is it OK if I just took one year of Italian and take the Chinese AP exam? Will this be a disadvantage for me? I am after all, fluent in two languages, with Italian being the third.</p>
<p>Foreign Language
The language requirement is waived for students whose native language is not English and who are proficient both in that language and in English.</p>
<p>Foreign Language
You should leave secondary school knowing at least one foreign language well enough to read it easily and pronounce it acceptably. Knowing a foreign language enables you to enter another culture and to understand its ideas and its values. A fundamental aspect of language-learning must be a grasp of vocabulary and syntax that allows you to read novels, plays, poems, and magazines, with as much of a native speaker’s comprehension as possible. We have found that students who have mastered a foreign language before they come to Harvard take more language courses here than those who have not. Indeed, these students often embark on the study of languages not commonly taught in American secondary schools.</p>
<p>Many secondary school students take a smattering of several languages – for example, Latin for two years, French for a year, and Spanish for a year. When it is too late, they realize that they cannot read or speak any of these languages well. We urge you to try to study at least one foreign language and its literature for four years. Continuity of study is important, too, because a “year off” from a language can be a real setback. Once you are comfortably fluent, you will possess that language – and better appreciate the culture it has shaped – for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>So would taking a third language, Italian, would be advantage to me in anyway? I kinda don’t want to take two more years of Italian, maybe I should take one more year in junior year?</p>
<p>Harvard, and all selective colleges, want students to take the most demanding courses available at their high school. If the “average” college bound student at your high school is taking 3 to 4 years of a language, and you drop Italian (even though you speak 2 languages already), that could make your schedule look “less demanding” by comparison – unless you replace the language course with something more demanding that the average student is not taking, such as Multivariate Calc, Physics C, etc.</p>
<p>Basically if I drop Italian just because, it won’t be such an advantage. </p>
<p>However, if I dropped it because, say, I want to double up in a subject. Like instead of Italian, I took the required social studies class AND AP European History in senior year. Would that actually, make it “more demanding” than taking 3rd year Italian?</p>
<p>If you drop Italian just because, it might make your course rigor appear weak (as compared to other students in your high school).</p>
<p>If you drop Italian and replace it with AP Euro, I can’t say if it will make your program look more demanding because I don’t know what the average student at your school is taking. </p>
<p>Ask your Guidance Counselor, as they will have to attest to the rigor of your high school courses on their SSR report sent to colleges in your senior year.</p>
<p>Notice page 2, top right hand side of the page: In comparison with other college preparatory students at your school, the applicants course selection is: a. Most demanding, b. Very Demanding, c. Demanding, d. Average, e. Below Average</p>
<p>For the second link you sent, what does that chart “Grade Point Average” mean? Is it just how your school counts your grades? Like 4-A, 3-B, 2-C?</p>