<p>Harvard College requires applicants to submit scores on two SAT subject tests and advises them not to take them on a foreign language that they speak natively. I'm thinking about taking the French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish subject tests but I'm afraid that, since I'm a native speaker of Spanish, Harvard admissions will disregard the Spanish subject test score and I'll end up just wasting my time and money. My primary question: will taking a bunch of other subject tests along with Spanish make the Spanish score worth something? The first and, almost all the time, the only thing college admissions look at are the SAT scores, so maybe I'd be getting their attention before they even found out I'm a native speaker. I assume that being a polyglot, among other things, will give me a great shot at getting in. But, nevertheless, I am considering transferring to Harvard College when I'm in college if I don't get accepted straight out of high school, so these scores may as well help me getting accepted in a transfer. Illuminate me.</p>
<p>If you’re a native speaker of Spanish, it’s pointless to take a test designed to test about 3 years of high school language (ie., CEF A2).
You’re expected to score 700+ on languages you have LEARNED. So, yes, take French, Italian, and Japanese. Be aware these are not necessarily offered on the same test dates. Furthermore, you’d need two other tests (Literature and World History, perhaps, if math/science aren’t your strong suit?)
Actually, the first thing admission officers look at, especially at very/highly/most selective colleges, is high school curriculum: how rigorous was your schedule (5 core classes every year, no “free period” unless mandatory or used for work/internship, Honors/AP levels) and how well you did in these, ie., how many A/A-'s you got.
What will make you stand out at the most selective colleges will be something outstanding or extraordinary that you accomplished as an activity (Math Olympiads or national science winner, Olympics-level athlete, high-level/professional musician, dancer, or actor, etc).
Finally, transferring into Harvard College is almost impossible since very few students leave or drop out.</p>
<p>I could fit only one AP class into each of my years so far (I’m a Junior) because there are a bunch of stupid classes I need to take for graduation that I have to persuade them vampire style into letting me take online (Art 1, French 1 & 2, Pre-Calculus) but just plain haven’t been able to. Can the SAT Subject Test scores make up for the lack of AP rigor? I mean, admissions offices should have the common sense to assume that there was a hell of a lot of rigor placed into learning the subjects, that I didn’t just come out of the womb knowing seven languages. The point in showing myself as a polyglot is to have that as my extraordinary talent. I want to major in economics and go into Harvard Business School and I think that knowing a bunch of languages can give me the edge both in the now and in the future. And I am also taking Literature. Because my intended major is economics, math may as well go on my extensive list of subject tests. I’ve been independently studying economics, business, and the stock market since I’ve been a freshman (I took Economics online as a freshman) throughout school years, breaks, and summers; how can I show the effort I’ve placed into those studies as well?</p>
<p>Why did you need to take French 1&2 if you could score at a high level on the SAT Subject? Couldn’t you just jump into AP French based on that?
No the SAT scores won’t make up lack of AP rigor, UNLESS your school doesn’t offer many AP’s. It’s on you to find substitute classes - attend advanced-level language classes at a local college (college level 3 typically is AP level, depends on the college though), take first-year level college classes over the summer, independent study…
A high Math 2 score and being enrolled in Calculus AB + AP Stats would help if you intend to major in economics.
Have you lived abroad or taught yourself these languages - if you’ve taught yourself these languages, do you have certificates (ie., alliance française, Goethe Institut…)</p>
<p>My counselor said colleges would love to see both Spanish and French 1&2 credits on my transcript. Doesn’t make sense to me either since I’ll be taking the SAT on French. I’ve been acquainted with every language I know other than Spanish and English by independent study, but, regardless, I can certify myself in some languages that aren’t offered in the SAT (Russian and Portuguese). From the looks of it it seems like my best shot at a ‘rigorous record’ is to attend summer college courses.</p>
<p>Another thing I didn’t feel the need to mention until now is that I wasted most of my elective slots on AFJROTC. I was extremely dedicated to the class from freshman to this very last semester; halfway this year I just figured it was an absolute waste of my time, in the context of the bigger picture. I had easy As, many awards, and loads of ‘leadership experience’ in the classes, but they don’t count as Honors or AP. I participated in three of their leadership camps these past two summers. Hell, I’ve been attending leadership summer camps since 2008, giving teacher aide, counseling, and leading groups of children from grades K-12, acquiring a total of 425 community service hours over a course of three years (2008-2011). I have all sorts of awards and merits. Suppose that compensates? </p>
<p>Harvard would not consider your native foreign language as part of the required 2 SAT2 scores, but they will still consider it as additional SAT2 score to show your proficiency in Spanish. Nevertheless, it will have little weight in the admission process. </p>
<p>AFJROTC will actually look good… provided you don’t give up. Sure, they don’t count as honors or AP, but they matter anyway, and it’d probably be strange for you to drop them simply because they’re not “AP/Honors”. I wouldn’t give up on the summer leadership camp either. Do you have something similar, such as Boy Scouts?
Would you be able to do that and take a summer college course?
Do your parents have enough money that they may be able to send you to the Middlebury Intensive High School program for Japanese, or another language if you’re daring (Arabic is much in-demand right now and there are scholarships)?
<a href=“http://mmla.middlebury.edu/locations/green-mountain-college.php”>http://mmla.middlebury.edu/locations/green-mountain-college.php</a>
<a href=“http://mmla.middlebury.edu/”>http://mmla.middlebury.edu/</a>
<a href=“http://middleburyinteractive.com/news/middlebury-monterey-language-academy-qatar-foundation-interational-partner”>http://middleburyinteractive.com/news/middlebury-monterey-language-academy-qatar-foundation-interational-partner</a></p>
<p>BTW, there are Critical Language Flagships, it sounds like you’d be a natural for those programs… and considering who recruits there, let’s say if you get in and make it through, you won’t have to worry about finding a job and using your language skills.
<a href=“http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/”>http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/</a></p>
<p>I’m going to go on a limb and say you’re probably going to a rural or an underperforming high school, if you counselor thinks 2X2 years of a foreign language is going to impress highly selective schools (just so you know, many applicants to this type of colleges have 6+ years in one language and, if interested in the subject, dabble in another one. A certain number have been abroad, either for a study abroad trip or on vacation, plus those who went on a mission or a charity trip their parents paid for.). If so it’ll be even more important that you score well on those few AP’s you’ve taken and that you show initiative (such as seeking out a college course for the summer, etc).</p>