foreign language

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>I'm going to be a jr in HS. I spoke with someone @ Princeton about foreign language. I have cerebral palsy / dystonia & my speech is severely affected so is my mobility. "It is a recommendation that students take four years of a foreign language as all students must pass a language exam once they are admitted to Princeton University. However, it is merely a recommendation and not a requirement." Other schools said if I took 3 years i could get out of college foreign language so needless to say Im taking my 3rd year this year.</p>

<p>I dont know if princetons a fit yet im going to visit there, penn & other local schools this year.</p>

<p>I'm wondering if science or foreign language is more important in college admissions? I had to drop science for spanish</p>

<p>My info
Weighted gpa 4.2056
Dont know rank
Freshman year - gifted english, gifted world history, spanish 1, mandatory computer class, studyhall, honors bio, honors geometry & honors algebra 2. Geometry was a C+ because of my cerebral palsy but everything else was A-s/As/A+s
Sophomore year - gifted english, APUSH, spanish 2, mandatory gym class, studyhall, honors chem & precalc. APUSH was a B+ & a 4 but everything else was A-s/As/A+s
This year - calc, spanish 3, AP Eng Lang, AP US Gov & 2 studyhalls
ECs - physical occupational & speech therapy, conductive ed, dystonia mentor</p>

2

<p>Admission to an Ivy League university is a daunting challenge for every high school student. I commend you for working hard to maximize your potential.</p>

<p>Access to many Ivy League buildings may be more difficult than at newer universities; many of the buildings on Ivy League campuses were built a century or two before the ADA was passed and the old buildings are grandfathered not requiring full ADA access.</p>

<p>Princeton has several advantages for students with disabilities.

  1. Princeton has fewer students than other Ivy League universities except for Dartmouth. The small size and the residential colleges create a community where students know and help each other. When I attended Princeton decades before the ADA was passed a student in a wheel chair took a class in a non accessible lecture hall. His classmates carried his wheelchair to the lecture hall. Students help each other.
  2. The campus is smaller than some other universities.
  3. Student activities are on campus. Many student activities at Columbia or Penn are off campus at area bars, restaurants, or frat houses.<br>
  4. New construction in recent years has expanded the buildings that comply with the ADA.
  5. The Forbes residential college and perhaps some of the newer residential colleges have handicapped accessible bathrooms.
  6. The Princeton campus and the town of Princeton are very safe. The main campus is a basically a vehicle free zone.</p>

<p>Princeton may have several disadvantages for students with disabilities.

  1. The campus is on a hill. Most of the dorms are down the hill.
  2. Not all the buildings are ADA accessible.
  3. The university’s academic requirements may be more rigorous for students with disabilities than other universities. Check on minimum course levels at each university.
  4. Accessibility at the eating clubs is mixed. The ADA does not apply to the eating clubs because they are private institutions. Students can remain in the residential college for four years if they prefer that arrangement. About one-third of the students decide to remain in the residential colleges or remain independent.</p>

<p>I recommend that you contact the Office of Disability Services.
<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/ods/[/url]”>http://www.princeton.edu/ods/&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>Here are two articles from the student newspaper that may be of interest.</p>

<p>Disabled students still face hurdles
[Disabled</a> students still face hurdles - The Daily Princetonian](<a href=“http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2006/11/30/16781/]Disabled”>http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2006/11/30/16781/) </p>

<p>How the university helps some students
[Deaf</a>, blind students thrive at U. - The Daily Princetonian](<a href=“http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2004/12/07/11681/]Deaf”>http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2004/12/07/11681/)
Since each student’s needs are different a university that provides good support in one area may fall short for another student.</p>

<p>Princeton expects that applicants will take the most rigorous courses offered at their high school. If a scheduling conflict prevents your taking both Spanish and a science course then Princeton will not hold that against you. I believe that your high school counselor will be asked if you took the most rigorous courses at your high school.</p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

3

<p>I felt that Penn was quite disabled-friendly when I went a while back. Although there are events off-campus, there are many frats and so on that are barely off-campus - not like they are miles away. More people = more access to services as well, and Penn has an excellent hospital literally on-site, if that is a factor. </p>

<p>If you are actually from Philly, and your family has helped and can help you a lot, I would consider that. I don’t personally like the Princeton area in terms of getting around.</p>

4

<p>It doesn’t seem like you’re taking a whole lot of APs but maybe your school just doesn’t offer them. I’d say choose science if you’re interested in science and choose Spanish if you’re not (as much)…
Also if you don’t like studying Spanish very much I’d try to test out of it because taking/ learning a foreign language here is hard for many people. You don’t have to if you choose an engineering major.
Also I’m not sure why your disability means you get a C+ in Geometry but not other courses…</p>

5

<p>Not OP but I also have cerebral palsy. It affects visual/spatial reasoning often as well as mobility. Because geometry is visual spatial, it is a struggle for many with CP.</p>