<p>This is my first post on CC, so please bear with me if I make mistakes or use the wrong abbreviations! I'm the parent of a junior. She's aiming for highly selectve schools. She has a 4.0 UW (4.7 weighted) GPA, taking a rigorous course load at our local public high school, including 4 AP's and 2 Honors classes. Active in EC's with leadership positions, primarily Speech & Debate and Mock Trial which are her passions, but others too. Will be taking the SAT for the first time in December and has been scoring 2300+ on her practice tests. Will take the PSAT soon and we're very hopeful she'll be NMSF. She easily would've made the cutoff in our state last year when she took it as a sophomore.</p>
<p>We always assumed D would take 4 years of Latin. However, our public school district is eliminating Latin from its offerings (sad but true). Her Latin teacher is retiring, and he was the last one in the District. They let him come back part time this year to teach Latin 3 but its very unlikely he will be back next year. The word on the street is he won't be replaced because the District is expanding more modern/popular alternatives like Mandarin. The on-line courses offered by the District only go up to Latin 3.</p>
<p>D is just starting the process of thinking about what colleges to apply to. Her safeties will be the honors programs at our in state universities. She almost certainly will apply to Stanford, Pomona, Claremont McKenna. Her Dad and I are encouraging her to apply to HYP. We know these schools are reaches for everyone and that we need to find more schools that are "matches." But in the meanwhile, I've noticed that most schools recommend "at least" 3 years of the same foreign language. But some (e.g., Harvard, Princeton) recommend 4 years of the same language.</p>
<p>So I'm starting to wonder what our best strategy is here. I'm sure that D's guidance counselor would write a recommendation letter that explained that the District phased out Latin and didn't offer Latin 4 on-line. Truthfully, D is tired of Latin and would like to move on to something else. As I see it, she has 3 alternatives. One: start a new language in her senior year, e.g. Spanish 1. Two: just go with 3 years of Latin, and use the open slot in senior year to add in another AP or Honors class in something interesting. Three: do more research to seek out an on-line course in Latin 4. I've already tried the two nearby community colleges and they don't offer it.</p>
<p>D's preference is definitely Number Two. Be done with Latin and take a more interesting class in that spot, like AP Psychology, Photography III Honors, etc. </p>
<p>You probably want to try a Summer class at a college or university. I am not sure if switching to another language would be helpful or not as the requirement is often on the same single language. There are also online courses not under your school district. Nevertheless, if there is really nothing available or affordable, the counselor recommendation would definitely help to explain the situation.
I actually found quite a few online Latin classes. Here is one from KY but you may enroll oos.
<a href=“http://www.dl.ket.org/courses_latin.htm[/url]”>http://www.dl.ket.org/courses_latin.htm</a></p>
<p>Starting a new language at high school level 1 probably won’t help much from a college admissions standpoint, as her highest level would still be high school level 3. To get to a higher level in another language, she would probably have to take it at a local college (perhaps college level 1 in the summer and college level 2 and 3 in the next fall and spring semesters). But that may involve commuting and scheduling logistical problems.</p>
<p>Option two is the best. Colleges do understand the impracticality of completing 4 years of a language if the high school discontinues a language you are taking and they don’t expect you to go out of your way looking for an alternative such as an on-line course. Also, I am unaware of any college that actually requires four years of language; most that go beyond two years have three and sometimes four as a “recommendation” but not as a requirement.</p>
<p>Drusba, I am definitely hoping you are right. Common sense tells me you are.</p>
<p>I guess it says something about the cultural wasteland where I live (AZ) that I can’t find a Latin 4 class offered at my local university or nearby community colleges. It seems to mainly be offered by the private parochial schools. If she takes it on-line, it would be ideal to find an on-line course that she could do on her own schedule so that it didn’t interfere with her daytime class schedule. </p>
<p>The question I guess I’m really asking is this:</p>
<p>What is the cost or downside (in terms of college admissions) of doing only 3 years of Latin, if we have a counselor recommendation that explains that the district eliminated it, doesn’t offer it on-line and it isn’t offered at the local university or community colleges? Even the Harvard and Princeton websites say take these recommended courses “if possible.”</p>
<p>What is the benefit of going to extra lengths to find an on-line Latin 4 class from an OOS provider? Is it worth it to do so if it strains her senior year schedule, which will include Calculus III, Physics Honors, AP Govt/Econ, AP English Lit, plus two more classes that will be either AP or Honors. She is also very active in her EC’s especially debate and goes to frequent tournaments including ones out of state.</p>
<p>I wish we had never started her on Latin in a public high school that is beset by budget cuts. But it’s too late to turn back the clock on that one.</p>
<p>It’s really not an issue. Just replace it with another core that she’s more interested in. Given her projected schedule and the school’s cancellation of the course, adding in AP Psych, a known “easy” AP, is perfectly acceptable. Once kids hit their senior year, the top courses often only have one section in a given school, so it’s inevitable that some conflict and knock each other out. (Band and orchestra are known schedule killers.)</p>
<p>Also keep in mind your daughter will be taking the hidden 1st semester course “Common App w/Essays”. It is every bit as much work and stress as any other course in her schedule.</p>
<p>It’s true, Sikorsky. In past years at her school, students who wanted to take Latin 4 found themselves having to make hard choices between Latin 4 and the top AP classes. Like MrMom62 said, the classes often conflict, especially for kids on the most accelerated math track. So her teacher’s retirement makes it easier for her. Good point too about the “hidden” class on Common App and Essays. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but D often mentions how stressed out her senior friends are right now.</p>
<p>OP do not ever regret your daughter’s years of Latin. Studying Latin is beneficial in so many ways, not the least of which is I bet she aced all language sections of the SAT and ACT! My D’s both are taking AP Latin this year (D’s are junior and senior) although they also both took a modern language (French) through the AP level, and the current junior also started Mandarin last year.( A combination of self and summer study moved her into Chinese III this year. She is definitely a strong language student though.)
First, remember that all students are only being evaluated relative to the opportunities they have. So your daughter will not be penalized for her school terminating their Latin program. Selective schools will look and see how she filled that gap, how motivated, how creative, how resourceful, etc. So what she does depends a lot on where your D’s interests lie. </p>
<p>My senior is now applying to some of the same schools your D will be next year and if she were in the same position this would be my advice. I would not recommend the online Latin course. In Latin IV they are just translating Vergil, Horace, Catullus etc. - the vast majority of time is simple reading and translating out loud. This will be difficult and tedious without a teacher present.
I would suggest this approach: 1) is she going to study a language in college? If so, start next summer with a course in that language (ideally one that is offered at her school so she can continue senior year), either an intensive at Middlebury, etc. or through nsli-y (gov funded) or another overseas immersion program (if money not an issue) or at a local college if money or other summer plans keep her at home. Then, next year as a senior she goes into Whatever II, which looks extremely self motivated, goes above and beyond requirements, etc. Again, this option is if she is interested in more foreign language study a/o is going to continue in college. </p>
<p>Second option if she decides not to pursue another language is to add a rigorous and interesting course in her strongest area. So, maybe another AP science or an interesting English or History elective. Last year, one of mine took a bioethics seminar and another “cool” class to fill in a free block. Since she’s taken Calc she can bump that Honors Physics up to AP. Or something.</p>
<p>Anyway, yes it’s important for the counselor to address the disappearing Latin curriculum in his letter, but how your D responds is what Adcoms will look at to tell them something about her. My senior just got home from a 4 day program at Bowdoin and she reported that in an admissions session, the director said something like “we cannot afford to have any student here who does not take full advantage of all the opportunities offered at Bowdoin”. This is how they distinguish among reams of uber qualified kids. So keep that in mind as she makes a plan to re-structure her schedule without Latin.</p>
<p>You’re not expected to take a 4th year if your school doesn’t offer it. Make SURE the GC writes it in his/her recommendation then don’t worry about it. Your daughter is very competitive and selective colleges look at applications “in context”, ie if the context is explained to them that Latin was cut it will not be held against her in any way. I do agree with honeybee ^that what your daughter does instead, though, will matter (pursue a passion or take a “no class” period? :p)</p>