<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I know less studied languages help one stand out, but will studying a critical language increase the chances of being admitted to graduate school, even with an average g.p.a?</p>
<p>Dear Redbelt2010 - I work at the Center for Global Engagement at TCNJ, so I work with a lot of students who study languages at the College. This is a tough question to answer, since you don’t share which field you intend to study in graduate school. I can say, though, that mastery of a critical language - Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian are critical languages taught in the intensive format at TCNJ - enhances a graduate’s prospects for jobs and places in grad school programs. The intensive format is working well at TCNJ - our students are winning national scholarships to study critical languages abroad before graduation, and we have watched our students with skills in critical languages do well in grad school fellowship and Fulbright scholarship competitions over the past several years. </p>
<p>More than a few students have combined Chinese with various business majors, while Arabic and Russian have been popular options for International Studies students. Japanese has been a language of choice for students in Computer Science and Interactive Multimedia. We have had students pursue other critical languages, such as Persian, in special summer programs sponsored by the federal government at such universities as Wisconsin and Arizona, plus we have had students study at the Middlebury College summer language programs as well. Plus this year we will have more than four hundred students participating in study abroad for Maymester, a summer, a semester, and even an entire year.</p>
<p>Our intensive language classes have become popular options for first-year students at the College and we would encourage you to consider starting a new language or continuing one you studied in high school.</p>