How many years of foreign language for admission to top schools such as Princeton?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi! I have taken 5 years of French so far, from 7th grade - 11th grade. I am looking at dropping French this year, my senior year, because of the level of stress involved with the class. I would replace it with AP Bio. My courses would then be: AP Bio, AP Lang, AP Physics, AP Computer Science, AP Government, Multivariable Calculus. I want to be an engineer.</p>

<p>So my question is, since I have exceeded the language requirement and am not going into a foreign language major, does it matter if I take French my senior year?</p>

2

<p>4 years of foreign lang is the requirement for Princeton. Check websites for each college, it may vary. The languages that appear on the high school transcript are the ones that are calculated not middle school. Additionally, pulling back from a language and not advancing may not look so great. Some of your peers applying to these schools will have dual languages, so you want to present yourself in the best possible way. D is an engineering student and took Spanish AP (4years) and 3 years of Latin.</p>

3

<p>I didn’t read the Princeton website as saying “You are not allowed to apply without 4 years of language” but more of a recommendation. Do the 7th and 8th grade classes show up on your transcript? Mine do, and I had had 4 total years so I stopped. At some point you can’t do everything. I would say definitely take AP Bio, honestly I think the whole language taken in middle school thing is a grey area. What is the name of the French class you took in 11th grade? If it’s along the lines of “French 5” that makes it clear that you’ve had more than 4 years. Some people have dual languages, some people have multivariable calculus. Go for AP Bio.</p>

4

<p>I STRONGLY suggest you drop the AP Bio and take 4r years of French HS , or at least through the highest level level taught at your HS, if they do not offer AP French. The Ivys do NOT look at classes you took in middle school. You will have tons of competition for the few spots P offers.
And in general - any “recommendations” that are suggested by top colleges SHOULD be read as “required”, if you have the ability to take them.</p>

5

<p>I thought the 4 year recommendation does not imply that you need to take 4 years in high school, just that you are at a 4 year level equivalent? If the courses you take show that you are at the “5th level,” I think you should be fine. However, it always looks good to show a long-term commitment, though it’s not like you are replacing your language with an easy class. Just some factors to consider.</p>

6

<p>Princeton Admissions’ web page doesn’t seem to say a lot about study of foreign language, but Harvard’s does:</p>

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<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Preparing for College](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/preparing/index.html#language]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/preparing/index.html#language)</p>

<p>If that describes your ability to read and speak French, you don’t need to take more.</p>

7

<p>“If that describes your ability to read and speak French, you don’t need to take more.”
I will add- taking the AP French test , and scoring a 4 or 5 OR or the French subject language test with listening AND scoring in the 700s WILL prove that you have reached that level of proficiency. You need to realize that the onus is on you to prove to P that you did not need to take 4 years of French in HS.</p>