I have been reading The Gatekeepers this weekend and have learned a lot. One thing that scared me was a reference to Wesleyan’s flagging folders of students who did not have Calculus or four years of language as “weak”. My D didn’t get either of these due to scheduling problems at her school, but has otherwise taken the most rigorous curriculum available (AP, gifted, etc.) I would have to go through some appeals process for her to get calculus her senior year (rule against taking two maths in one year). Is it worth it? Did not having these classes keep you from being accepted at your first choices?
<p>What is the other math that she is taking?</p>
<p>What majors is she interested in?</p>
<p>My son had only 3 years of spanish (but is taking BC calc), was wl'd at his 2nd choice school, Bowdoin. I have no clue if it had anything to do with the wl, but Bowdoin does recommend 4 years of a FL pretty strongly. A wl or rejection is usually a combination of factors, but if your D is looking at the most selective of schools, both the math and 4 years of FL issue may not hurt but it won't help. </p>
<p>Make sure the GC mentions the scheduling issues in his/her rec.</p>
<p>Most students attending a college prep high school should be taking 4 math courses before graduating-algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, and calculus (AB or BC). If your daughter hasn't taken algebra 1 and 2 she might not be able to take caculus. With that being said, I don't think she will have a problem attending a good college without caculus, but it would be better if she could take it to do so.</p>
<p>As far as a foreign language, while 4 years looks great, most studenta only have 2-3 years. At our local private schools, the students must take 3 years of a foreign language to graduate; 7th and 8th grade combined count as the first year, then 2 more years in high school. Most students do take 3 years in high school, but it is not required.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. My D's school has them do Alg I, Alg II, Geometry, and then Advanced Math. If they want to do Calculus, they are either supposed to have started earlier than she did by taking Alg I in 7th or 8th grade, or they can double up Alg II and Advanced Math and then take Calculus as a senior. I am a Writing/English person (as are all my children), and I totally missed these rules and requirements.</p>
<p>Don't worry about the caculus for humanities. As for the FL - nobody's application is perfect. A 4th year would be nice - and might be more likely to let her place out of the college's language requirement (if any). If she doesn't have it, she needs to concentrate on the rest of the app. Sounds like plenty is going on there!</p>
<p>Is "advanced math" what some schools call pre-calculus? Could she take that over the summer, and then take Calc AB in the fall of next year?<br>
The lack of calculus combined with only three years of language may hurt her at some of the most selective colleges. Many community colleges offer both precalculus and languages in their summer programs. "Strength of program" is often cited as one of the most important considerations when evaluating applications. Good news is, it's not too late.</p>
<p>She won the academic medal for the top student in Spanish II, but then couldn't take Spanish III as a junior because her high school only has one Spanish III class, and it was at the same time as AP English. She is going to try to pick up Spanish III as a senior (assuming it is not scheduled at some similarly inopportune time). Hopefully, this is something her GC can explain effectively. It is just kind of depressing to imagine this folder with different color flags all over it....</p>
<p>Good luck csshsm - I didn't mean to alarm you, but thought you would want an honest assessment. Hey, I'm feeling my son is at a disadvantage because he will only be completing Spanish IV as a senior, when many of the kids in his class will be taking Sp.V because they had 2 years in junior high and could start out with II as freshmen. Seriously.
It only matters if you're going for the most selective colleges. Remember that many kids these days supplement their high school courses with summer programs. It's not like it was when we went to school.</p>
<p>pokey318... The required math sequence is very different in different areas of the country. You stated "algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, and calculus" but where I live you have to do this: alg 1, alg 2, geometry, adv alg with trig, pre calc, calc OR stat... there is no mainstream option to skip or take courses over the summer. To get to calc you have to start high school with geometry.</p>
<p>As for the original question, I took two years of latin and two years of german but not the "required" fours years of ONE langauge... BUT I took math up through Calc II so that kind of made up. I was going for a tech/science major so a lack of language wasn't a big deal... why not call up some colleges and discuss this? I know that's what I did last summer to confirm that I'd get credit for my college classes... all were more than willing to give answers and advice.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>anovice - I don't think any schools "require" four years of one language. They usually require three, but recommend four. In a normal world, three should be sufficient (or two of two). It's just that we don't seem to be in a normal world anymore.
Fortunately, colleges don't make decisions on just one factor - they look at the whole package.</p>
<p>A language is difficult to pick back up after a year off - a summer program (or working no her own) would help. 2 years of a language will fall short of the requirement at selective schools. Possible a community college course if the scheduling doesn't work out.</p>
<p>Regarding scheduling - sometimes parent input (i.e., a big stink) can correct the problem.</p>
<p>A.S.A.P... I had put the requirement statement in quotes because of exactly what you said. Colleges don't really require you to have four years of language yet you're really at a disadvantage if you don't. But, you're right... colleges don't look at one or two factors to make a decision but the whole package.</p>
<p>Yeah, don't worry about it. I was accepted at Cornell and Johns Hopkins and I'm taking Algebra III because of scheduling hell. On the other hand I have a 800 Math and i've taken 8 years worth of languages so I think that if your daughter can balance it out she'll be fine.</p>