<p>My son is a sophomore and we are trying to finalize his schedule for
his Junior year. I have a question about foreign language requirements.
Unfortunately, his middle school offered only Spanish 1A in 7th grade
and 1B in 8th grade so that through his Sophomore year he has been able
to finish level 3. Because of heavy course load, we are thinking of
dropping Spanish in his Junior year. Is this a good idea and how is
this going to impact his college applications? I believe selective
colleges look for at least 4 years of foreign language - does this mean
through level 4 or 4 years of a language? Is it better for him to stick
with Spanish in his Junior year or drop it for an easier course so that
he can concentrate on his core areas?</p>
<p>None of our middle schools had any language at all!! Consider yourself lucky.</p>
<p>Many selective schools require 3, recommend 4 years of the same language. But there are some that require 4, so you'd have to check the schools that interest you. As to the question of whether the requirement refers to getting to level 4 of a language vs. 4 actual years of taking a language in high school --the person who would best answer your question would be someone in the admissions department at the particular school you are interested in.</p>
<p>My D took 3 years of language in hs (and went through Level 4) and had no trouble getting into some of the most selective schools in the country.</p>
<p>What course would he take instead of Spanish?</p>
<p>I'd think about taking Spanish 4 in his senior year.</p>
<p>I believe it refers to four complete foreign language credits, or "level four". You'll also want to find out whether your district actually sends your S's Spanish I A/B grades on his HS transcript, or if they only use them for placement. If it won't be on his transcript, you'll want to do some research and see if the schools he's interested in will assume he's completed the lower levels, (I think when this is done in math it's called "justifying" the lower levels, someone correct me if I'm wrong).</p>
<p>To the best of my knowledge, "four years of foreign language" means "foreign language through level 4." </p>
<p>A student who takes foreign language through level 4 but who completed level 1 of that language in middle school is considered to have four years of foreign language.</p>
<p>A student who took foreign language in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 but who has only completed level 3 (because the middle school courses were taught at a slower pace) is considered to have three years of foreign langauge.</p>
<p>Would the rules of his program permit him to substitute a less demanding honors-level course for one of his APs? If he could do that, taking Spanish 4 might not seem so formidable.</p>
<p>Another possibility: Is he planning to take another social studies course in 12th grade? If not, would the school allow him to postpone AP World History to the following year, allowing him to include both Spanish 4 and his fine arts course in this year's schedule?</p>
<p>If neither of these possibilities makes sense, waiting until senior year to take Spanish 4 seems to be the best option.</p>
<p>In general, it would be a bad idea for him to drop the language because many colleges require students to be able to test at a certain level of a language in order not to have to take the language in college. Many colleges, including some public institutions, require students to be able to test at the intermediate level of a foreign language in order to graduate from college. The test used is either achieving a certain score on the SAT II or on a test that the college administers.</p>
<p>One also quickly forgets languages, so his taking a year off from Spanish also wouldn't be a good idea.</p>
<p>I asked about a half dozen college reps this question last year. The answer was the same in all cases: if they required 3 years they meant thru level three not 3 years in HS. I have heard that some places mean 3 years (or 4 years) in HS but none of the reps I asked responded in that way. In addition it matters what is being substituted for language. It appears that in your son's case it is AP Comp. Sci. A lot of folks would view this as not that distinct from language. If Comp. Sci. is more consistent with your son's passions dropping Spanish seems like an OK option. But if your son has a particular set of schools in mind by all means call them to check.</p>
<p>I think having only 2 years of language in HS may seriously hurt his chances at the very top schools. Maybe he can take the CS his senior year, and keep Spanish on his schedule...</p>
<p>On the same general topic... my rising senior son has completed Spanish 4 and is being pressured to take AP Spanish 5, which is a killer at his hs, so he can complete the highest and most rigorous courseload in that area. Does it really matter if he goes to the Ap level in Spanish or not if he has already done 4 years (one in middle school)?</p>
<p>bessie,
For you to figure out what's best for your S to do, find out whether there's a graduation language requirement at the schools he's considering. Check their web sites, and also check the course requirements for freshmen at those colleges.</p>
<p>"On the same general topic... my rising senior son has completed Spanish 4 and is being pressured to take AP Spanish 5, which is a killer at his hs, so he can complete the highest and most rigorous courseload in that area. Oh Yes, he plans to apply to all of the UC's basically and a few schools like USC."</p>
<p>Not for the UCs. My son got into UCLA after only going through Spanish 3. Don't have him take a killer AP Spanish course if he reached level 4. One of my many beefs with our school, which I think is true of our district, is that there is no Spanish 4 offered. Students have to take AP Spanish after Spanish 3. In addition to that, many of the students in the AP course are native Spanish speakers, which creates a difficult playing field for non-native speakers and an equity issue for the teachers. The biggest challenge of this year was AP Spanish. It turned out OK but not without considerable angst that would not have been present in a Spanish 4 class. It is a tough class. Now I have a new quandry with my 7th grader. He could take a foreign language next year or he could take drama again. He loved drama and loves the teacher. I hate to think of him being stuck in foreign language through his senior year and having to take it over another class in 12th grade, but the kid is 12, and I'm not willing to sacrifice his present enjoyment of school and life for the college admissions game. He's highly gifted, will excel in high school but I figure it's time to live in the moment and figure out ways to please colleges later.</p>
<p>UCs and USC only recommend 3 years of a foreign language. A couple of my friends were accepted to Cal, UCLA, etc. with just Spanish 2. Albeit, they may have trouble on the placement exam to pass out. (I took 3 years)</p>
<p>My D attended public hs in California---she faced the same scenario her Jr. year. She opted to wait to take AP Spanish 4 her senior year-very challenging-but doable.Given the schools your child is interested in attending-you are on track with waiting till Sr. year to finish additional year in Spanish-but be sure to take that last year if you want USC or Cal/UCLA---this years applicant pool to Cal and UCLA was extremely competitive.</p>
<p>well, he just finished level four this year as a junior... it is level 5 Ap that seems to be the scary one. As someone mentioned above, a lot of native speakers are in the Spanish 4 class and even more in AP level 5! All literature, etc. He doesn't mnd taking a foreign language in college, I'm just worried about adding a very demanding AP language class to a schedule with 4 other AP classes for senior year. Thanks for the advice... sure wish I had a crystal ball!</p>