How important is foreign language, really?

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm currently a sophomore in high school, and so far I've completed Spanish 1 and 2. I couldn't fit both Spanish 3 and AP Bio into my schedule this year, so I decided to take AP Bio. </p>

<p>Here's the thing. I really, really hate Spanish, and would be thrilled beyond measure if I never had to study it again. I really enjoy studying Asian languages; on my own, I'm trying to pick up basic Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (most proficient in Japanese, but no where near being equivalent to even a 1st year Japanese student). I plan to study one of these languages in college. My school doesn't offer any of them though, so I can't take them now. </p>

<p>I think it's pointless to keep taking a language I don't plan on continuing in out of high school. </p>

<p>I'm in band, and I have no intention of dropping it.</p>

<p>Schedule last year:
Honors Biology, Honors Math 1 (new Georgia curriculum), Honors 9th Grade Lit., Personal fitness (graduation requirement), Government (graduation requirement), Band, Spanish 2</p>

<p>This year:
AP World History, Band, Honors 10th Grade Lit, Honors Math 2, AP Biology, Honors Chemistry</p>

<p>Next year [probably]
AP Chem, AP Lang, APUSH, Honors Math 3, Band, AP Psych</p>

<p>Senior year [probably]
AP Calc, AP Physics, AP Lit, Band, Anatomy [maybe], AP Euro or AP Statistics</p>

<p>(Taking Economics and Health (graduation requirements) online in the summer.) </p>

<p>I feel like those classes would be more beneficial to me than Spanish 3, which I REALLY don't want to take. Plus, my lowest grade is usually about a 98, and I'm rank 10 out of about 400 students in my grade. My school is in the top 1% of public high schools in the country.
I do a lot of extracurricular activities (science olympiad, science bowl, math team, tri-m, marching band, and more). </p>

<p>My ultimate goal is Yale (where my dad went) or if I can't get in there, Georgia Tech. I want to be a Biology major. </p>

<p>So, please tell me - will not taking Spanish 3/4/AP hurt me?</p>

2

<p>Take at least Spanish 3. Most colleges recommend at least 3 years of foreign language.</p>

3

<p>A lot of kids think that taking a foreign language in high school is pointless. And quite frankly, they’re almost always right.</p>

<p>But when you’re applying for college, you don’t get the luxury of having anyone listen to why you disagree with the admissions policies. Foreign language classes are important to top colleges, so if you don’t do what they want and take at least 3 years your chances will be considerably lower.</p>

4

<p>If you took Spanish 1 in 8th grade, which appears to be the case, you have one year of high school language so far.</p>

5

<p>See this thread for a relevant discussion, I would agree with post #14:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/759778-emphasis-3-4-year-foreign-language-myth.html?highlight=myth[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/759778-emphasis-3-4-year-foreign-language-myth.html?highlight=myth&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>Alright, perhaps I will consider taking Spanish 3… thank you for the advice.
(And although I did take Spanish 1 in 8th grade, it counts for high school credit. It’s on my transcript as a normal class.)</p>

7

<p>^Yes, it is the level, not the number of years in HS that counts.</p>