Is speaking 4 languages an advantage?

<p>So I know that on the CommonApp you list the languages you know, in addition to English and my home language I have taken two other languages and gotten As in the AP classes (also fared well on the exams), do you tihnk this would be interesting to adcoms? I can tie it in to stuff about me being multicultural and cosmopolitan.</p>

<p>well, knowing four is probably better than knowing only one…</p>

<p>But hey, I am fluent in four languages too (English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean). There are many people who have mastery of more. One of my friends is fluent in Spanish, Korean, Chinese, French, English (obviously), Japanese, and German. He’s now at Harvard and I’m at UC Berkeley (we knew these languages in our senior year during application season).</p>

<p>point is, it’s probably uncommon but not unheard of. yes, it probably helps you, but not too greatly unless it’s extreme like ^^ (his application revolved around him traveling around the world and being multicultural)</p>

<p>Just getting an A in an AP language class does not indicate fluency in any way. Did you get 5s on the AP exams or 800s on the SAT 2s? </p>

<p>Admissions will see your transcript and your scores related. I think it could be a bit of a stretch/exaggeration to indicate you are fluent in 4 languages. However you would definitely know that better than I. </p>

<p>Yes, the spin would probably be about your multi-culturarlity, but don’t force it if it isn’t you. I suppose (depending on the prompt) that I would just say how I enjoy languages and am able to pick them up quickly, etc.</p>

<p>5s on APs and high 700s on SATs.</p>

<p>Also would this fall into the category of “special skills” that they want to make a well-rounded class?</p>

<p>If you teach yourself a language to a decent conversational level is that interesting as well?</p>

<p>I think one more language would make it interesting. Five sounds a lot better than four.</p>

<p>Even if I’m not really fluent could it still make somewhat of a difference?</p>

<p>don’t over-inflate your skills/abilities. frankly, what good (in college) is it going to do (the college you want to accept you) if you can speak mulitple languages? it might be something moderately interesting, but absolutely not enough to make/break your application. it could certainly be addressed in one of your essays indicating that you have an interest in languages (do you plan to major in linguistics?), but don’t attempt to define yourself just by the ability to speak multiple languages. </p>

<p>keep in mind, most international students speak multiple languages fluently. it’s only the US that is stuck with English as a sole language.</p>

<p>Well it’s not the only thing I’m going to try to base my app on, but rather something I want to connect to the big picture.</p>

<p>No, it’s going to hurt you. You probably won’t get in. You might not want to let them know that you speak more than one language.</p>

<p><em>Sigh</em> some of the questions asked here… How would it NOT be an advantage? What is the real point of this thread?</p>

<p>Not alladvantages are equal. I was asking how big it would be.</p>

<p>Well, I just happen to speak 3 languages fluently, so I really don’t see how 4 is so much of a stretch. The old rule I heard was that if you can conduct a college interview in that language, you’re fluent.</p>

<p>

That’s not what the title or first post of the thread say. And even if it did, there still is no answer to the question; how does one even go about measuring advantages? :confused:</p>