Is it true that you need 4 years of language in high school order to be considered by an Ivy League school?
Can you take 3 years of one language and take another one in the fourth year?
Thanks!
@Pearl1234 No. For example:
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college/choosing-courses
Note the word “recommend.”
Is your google broken?
You mean like I did? Yes. Note, however, that most of these colleges have a foreign language requirement for graduation. If you think that 3 years will get you exempted, or you don’t mind taking a FL class in college, then by all means, feel free not to pursue a 4th year.
Thank you, Erin’s Dad, for your kind reminder about Google.
However I am trying to find out the experience of other students- ie do they not even consider your application unless you have 4 years of language.
@Pearl1234 Again, this is something that can easily be Googled. If the school’s website doesn’t say that it requires 4 years of foreign language (I’m assuming most don’t), then you have your answer.
First, I agree you should check the schools you are interested in for requirements/recommendations. If you are serious about a school I would make every effort to meet their recommendations as many applicants will.
Colleges are generally looking for 4 years of the same language. It is understood that the rigor of a foreign language generally increases as you get to more advanced classes. I’m sure you can understand that taking French 1 - French 4 would be more rigorous than taking four introductory classes in different languages (in an extreme example). If you have already taken level 4 of one language then your language requirement would likely be considered complete and you could switch.
And as an aside, I hope you expand your college search past the Ivy League. They are great schools but admission is hyper-competitive so find other alternatives you love as well.
It’s unlikely that any student can directly tie their admission/rejection to whether they had 3 or 4 years of a language.
You should work to, at a minimum, meet the requirements and if possible exceed them and meet the recommendations (when specified). Which are most likely different for different schools within the Ivy League. These are all independent universities that set their own criteria for admission.
Many thanks for all your replies. Yes, I am not focusing on just Ivy League schools. But was interested in submitting to a couple.
I have googled the schools(IVy) that are not looking for a 4 year language requirement. I am a Junior and I don’t want to take the 4th year of language as another class interests me. Basically, if an Ivy does not have a minimum 4 year language requirement, and I have 3 years of language, I was interested to find out if they would just toss my application in the trash - even though they didn’t require it. This is what a friend said, so I was asking this group. Thanks again.
This probably won’t help at all, but D was accepted SCEA to Yale with only 2 years of FL. However, during our time as expats, she learned the basics of that language and used it in everyday settings. Her skills were, IMO, on level with 4 years of class instruction, and I guess Yale felt the same.
Interestingly, when she emailed Washington and Lee to explain her circumstances, they said not to even bother sending in an application with only 2 years of classroom instruction. So, we didn’t.
D was homeschooled, FWIW, and both her dad and I (her instructors) speak the language. I am proficient, and Dad is considered expert by his employer.
Most colleges consider how high a level you complete.
Belle315,
Did you daughter show/ prove her knowledge of the language with a standardized test- i.e. Subject test or AP test?
I think it is safe to assume that Ivy level colleges have way more applicants that meet/exceed their required coursework, have outstanding grades, great standardized tests, strong essays and recommendations than they have spots. So while they I doubt they would just toss your application, I expect the lack of a fourth year of language would put you at a disadvantage from the very start.
And I agree that if outstanding proficiency was shown with a SATII or AP test that could help.
Strangely, no, she didn’t. I don’t believe there is an AP test/subject test for this language (keeping it nonspecific due to nature of husband’s job). I have no idea why they took our word for it. As her HS counselor, I wrote a version of a school profile that detailed her curricula, available EC’s, etc., and this is where I mentioned our time as expats and the nature of her language learning. I did mention a textbook we used that is a college level grammar book for that language, but I have no idea if they researched it. I don’t believe the subject came up in her interview at all, either.
All that said, I believe she probably got accepted in spite of her foreign language “deficiency”.
So, to the OP, I would still agree with others here that not having 4 years or demonstrated proficiency is a real disadvantage for schools who recommend 4 years.