Hello everyone! I’m new to CC, so hopefully I’m posting this in the right area.
I’m going into my sophomore year and want to get into a prestigious college in the future, namely MIT. Recently, I found out that colleges like to see you take at least 2-3 years of foreign language, but I really don’t have any room on next year’s schedule for a foreign language class. All of the classes I’m taking my sophomore year are absolutely necessary and I can’t switch even one of them out. That leaves me with two options for my junior and senior year schedules:
Take only two years of a foreign language at my high school
Take four years worth of a foreign language in two years at a local college (dual enrollment program; classes are only one semester long)
I would go with the latter option in a heartbeat, but if I did, that means I wouldn’t be able to take many science related classes at the college because it would be considered an arts course/pathway. General education requirements and all that. The rest of the classes I’d take through the dual enrollment program would be humanities, and I’m not sure that would be as impressive to MIT as several STEM related classes. Through my high school, I’d be taking AP Computer Science, AP Calculus BC, and then Honors classes for all required math courses and sciences, including Physics. Would good grades in those make up for all the humanities?
Thanks for any advice! Let me know if anything needs to be clarified. It was hard to fully explain everything and still keep it fairly brief.
Can you elaborate? What is your proposed sophomore schedule as well as your current freshman schedule, since I find it hard to believe that a school would construct a schedule that would preclude a sophomore from taking a much-needed foreign language class.
Freshman:
Honors English 9
Honors Algebra I
Honors Biology
Physical Science
PE/Health
World History
Sophomore:
Honors Geometry
Honors Algebra 2
Honors Chemistry
Honors English 10
1st semester - AP Psychology
2nd semester - PSEO Sociology, PSEO Philosophy
I have to take two math classes in order to take AP Calculus my senior year. If I took out AP Psychology and took a year of a foreign language instead, then I’d only have room for one college class, and it wouldn’t be smart for my parents to drive me to college two days a week just for one class. Likewise, I can’t take a foreign language at the college my sophomore year because foreign language classes are four days a week and nobody has time to drive me that often. I won’t have my license until late 2016, most likely.
Maybe I should just ditch the dual enrollment program my sophomore year all together?
So you have no foreign language as a freshman?
Unfortunately, no. My school is strict about having no more than six classes a semester. I’m transferring next year partly because of that.
I really hope the foreign language situation doesn’t make it or break it for me. Going to a top school has been my dream since middle school.
I’d go with option B, and/or add some online and/or summer options. Although MIT only requires 2 years of a foreign language, the odds of you or anyone getting into MIT are incredibly small. Since most top colleges recommend/require 3 years of more, I’d suggest working toward that goal. Also note that many colleges have a foreign language requirement for graduation, so the more you do now, the less you need to do in college.
Can you take a math class (Algebra II) over the summer instead of taking two next year? Then replace it with the foreign language class.
Otherwise, go for the college class route.
Thank you so much for the help! I’ll consider my different options.
You only have 5 classes in Sophomore year so far because two are only one semester classes.
I would take foreign language this year and do dual enrollment next year.
It might have been better to take foreign language last year instead of two science classes.
And when you do dual enrollment, can’t you choose the classes you want to take?
In our district dual enrollment serves as a way to take harder classes than the HS provides or to take additional math if you run out of classes at the HS.
Sorry, I forgot to add Honors U.S. History to that sophomore schedule. It would actually be a full schedule.
You can choose what classes you can take, but they need to be within a set of guidelines to meet the general education requirements and yada yada yada. I have to talk more with the college I’m doing the dual enrollment program with to find out exactly what I can do.
Thank you for your reply!
wonderfulreads, I was considering that, but it would cost $650. I’d have to find out a way to save up money.
I don’t understand, but here when they take dual enrollment classes it is for enrichment or in lieu of HS classes. They are not considered a degree seeking student at the college. So gen ed requirements should not matter.
I would not forego taking a foreign language and take two science classes or two math classes or two social sciences (in your case four) in the same year instead.
Several providers online offer FL classes. BYU classes are great. It’s about 300 a class for online, or you can pay more and have a teacher-guided online class. I would try to take two-three years of HS and then 1 or 2 college years.
So, if you are going to be a sophomore next year, then you could take one at home possibly. Just ask the GC if it would be allowed. So let’s say you did that. Then you could do another over the summer, or save another for junior year and then just do the 2 college ones summer before senior year and senior year.
If you were doing Spanish for example, then you could do one of these options to receive 4 years.
1: Sophomore Year - Spanish 1 (At Home/Outside of Reg. School Hours), Summer before Junior Year - Spanish 2, Junior Year - Spanish 3 or DE Beginning Spanish, Senior Year - Intermediate Spanish.
2: Summer before Sophomore Year - Spanish 1; Sophomore Year - Spanish 2; Summer before Junior Year - Spanish III or DE Beginning Spanish; Junior Year - Intermediate Spanish.
You must take foreign language classes. No two ways about it. ALL top 25 universities and LACs are explicit: they want to see 5 “core” classes per year, ie., English, Math, Foreign Language, Science, Social Science. Then, one or two other classes of your choice.
Having only 2 years of a foreign language can only be justified if you attend a low-performing high school that does not offer more than 2 years of one foreign language (a case can be made, and has been made, that if two years of two languages are offered, then the student should either take 2 years + dual enrollment, or 2 years + 2 years with the guidance counselor indicating in the SSR that it was not possible to take all 4 years in a single language).
Take Geometry over the summer and during the year use that period for a foreign language, then accelerate over the summer after sophomore year. OR take Geometry over the summer AND foreign language too. The course maps presented in #12 are excellent ideas also.
Also, be aware that for schools such as MIT, HarveyMudd, Stanford, etc., your coursework in humanities classes is just as important as your STEM coursework. That’s why MIT specifically requires a recommendation from a HUmanities/social science teacher (or professor for PSEO students).
Thank you for your advice, everybody! I’ve finally decided what I’m going to do. It turns out my school offers a testing out option, where instead of taking the actual class, you take an exam and get the credit if you do well on it. I’m going to do that with Geometry. Then I’ll have room to take a foreign language my sophomore year.