Question about foreign languages?

Applying to College
1

<p>A lot of the schools I'm looking at require three years of a language, but prefer four. </p>

<p>I started Spanish in eigth grade, just because I wanted to take the high school credit for it. And then it became clear that you can't get the credit in eighth grade unless you continue on. Freshmen year, I took Spanish II, and did well in the course, I just didn't find it to be that interesting. This year, as a sophomore, I am taking Spanish III, but really can't imagine taking it for another year.</p>

<p>I have heard that you should make up for it in other parts of your application -- I am taking five high school credits of math (Algebra I, Geometry, Honors Algebra II/Trig, Honors Pre-Calc, AP Calc AB). Possibly six, depending on if they end up offering AP Stats when there is an opening in my schedule.</p>

<p>I'm thinking of taking a local CC course, out of interest, to begin learning Arabic (I want to possibly become an overseas correspondent). Unfortunately, the CC only offers Arabic I, II, and III and is on the quarter system.</p>

<p>Would taking a language out of school make up for it? Or, if I maintain good grades in other areas (I'm taking AP Physics B as a sophomore) will it sort of "make up" for it? I don't want to do anything that might hinder my chances but I don't have the passion to take Spanish 4. </p>

<p>The Spanish 4 teacher at my school also offers Spanish 4 as a Pass/Fail class. So that is an option. But I think it would look better if I became fairly competent in Spanish and then began another language. I just don't know.</p>

<p>How negatively, if at all, will only three years of a foreign language impact my admissions?</p>

2

<p>It all depends on how selective the colleges are. If they prefer four, then you should definitely take four. Taking three won’t kill you, but it might hurt you. I would say take Spanish next year if you are good at it but just don’t like it. But If you aren’t good at it, then you might now want to take it.</p>

3

<p>Four years is much better than three, but I’d say taking three years of Spanish and then taking Arabic I through III at the Community College would probably be looked at just as well as four years of Spanish would be. Heck, get passionate about Arabic and you might be able to turn it into an essay.</p>

4

<p>Thank you guys!</p>

<p>I do realize that four years is better than three. But at my school, we have a large population of Spanish speakers that don’t have great reading or writing skills, so they take the upper level Spanish classes, and most of the upper level Spanish classes cater to students that learned Spanish at home. Plus I’m not interested in learning the language, at all. The class bores me, and I would have stopped after last year if I wasn’t looking to go out of state.</p>

<p>The schools I’m looking at are competitive – Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown, Wesleyan, UCB. I think I will just take the beginning Arabic sequences and drop Spanish after this year. And after I finish the offered Arabic classes (they are only beginner level) I might begin Russian or Chinese.</p>