Hey CC! I’m in my final two years or so of school, and I’ve been doing a lot to determine how to best use them to prepare for my future. I’d like to go to graduate school, and while I’ve wavered on what program and concentration, I’m currently leaning towards going for social work and becoming a mental health counselor. I recently met with someone at my college’s school of social work to talk about my chances of getting in, financial aid, and how to best prepare. She thought my chances were great, but that I had one thing lacking - no second language. She mentioned that having second language experience, especially in Spanish, gives applicants a huge leg up, especially when it comes to scholarships, internships, and other opportunities.
As it stands, I’m currently completing my B.S. in psychology, meaning that I am exempt from the language requirement. In addition, I am pursing an English major, a neuroscience minor, and a certificate in Addiction Studies. The language requirement is four classes, totaling twenty credits. However, with practice, my Spanish skills would likely qualify me to move on to Intermediate Spanish, meaning that it would only be ten credits. Not nothing, but not a lot either. I would probably have to push back two classes to do it, meaning likely another part-time semester.
If I did it, I would end up earning a B.A. in English and a B.S. in psychology, in addition to being able to list college-level Spanish on my applications/resume. I’d enhance my Spanish skills, which would be helpful, though it’s doubtful I’d achieve any real fluency at only the intermediate level. My question is, is it worthwhile to take another semester to pursue this? I don’t really care about the time it takes, especially since I’ll be around finishing my required internship anyway. But it would cost about $6,000, and while I don’t currently have student loans (I am VERY lucky), I would expect to take out a loan to pay for it. It may pay off, but it’s not a guarantee. I’d love to do it, but I also don’t want to have financial regrets later, especially as I’m not planning on a lucrative career. Thoughts on what to do? I’d appreciate any input. Thanks!
Nope! I have several friends in social work, most of whom went to one of them most prestigious social work schools in the country, and few of them had a second language. Yes, second language skills can enhance your application - but that’s true of a LOT of things, including volunteer experience, good grades, research experience, etc. In your case, you’d be spending more time on something that I think will have very little benefit - since you’d only be in college intermediate Spanish and wouldn’t have fluency. When they mean “second language experience,” they mean enough so that you are at least conversational and can practice/work your way up to fluency.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t continue with Spanish because it’s a very useful language to have in social work. However, you don’t need to spend an extra semester in college to take the classes. You can take community classes in Spanish or take them as a non-degree student once you graduate, or you can take Spanish classes at the university at which you earn your MSW.
And you didn’t ask about this, but as a side note, consider very strongly the MSW programs at public universities in your state to minimize debt.
You can keep up your Spanish studies independently after graduation if you want to. Most community colleges offer it through the intermediate level, and many adult ed programs offer it as well. Not to mention of course all of the private options such as short courses in Spanish-speaking countries where you could have an immersion experience with a home-stay.
Thanks for the input, both of you! I don’t think going the CC route would be worth it since it would involve enrolling at another school without the benefit of getting a degree. But I see your point about whether or not it would truly enhance the application, and I do have everything else already (grades, research experience, volunteering, ect.). I’ve contacted some of the grad schools I’m interested in to get a better idea. In the meantime, I’ll work on my Spanish and look into testing out, doing an immersion experience, or just learning independently.
I agree with the Spanish immersion idea. I know someone who went to Guatemala for six months and returned pretty close to fluent. You can also do volunteer work while there in a capacity that would boost your resume as well. The person that I know signed up through a language school (there are tons of them) and stayed with a host family. I believe that the cost is less than you would pay for an extra semester at college. You can also decided how long you want to stay, etc… so you are not locked in to any certain program. Just be sure to research and read reviews on the various language schools before selecting a school since they will vary in quality. Good luck!
I am currently pursuing two degrees, a B.A. and B.I.S. simultaneously. I will probably need an extra semester, but I think my advantage in pursuing a career will be WELL worth it for two reasons: 1. having two degrees will set me apart from other applicants with only one degree, and 2. I will have two fields I can seek jobs in - twice as many options. It’s tough to get a good job in this economy - you need every advantage you can get to stand out from other applicants!