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<p>Classes aren’t on diplomas. did you mean transcripts? If so, you can send CC records when you apply. I took math and anthropology through local colleges when I was in high school and they were not added to my transcripts- I just sent the transcripts from those places. It didn’t make a lick of difference. </p>
<p>There is a section on the common app to list college courses taken. It doesn’t matter if the high school puts them on the hs transcript.</p>
<p>Check to see if the colleges/universities accept the CLEP exams. Happykid took that and got 12 semester hours of Spanish in one afternoon.</p>
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<p>She will need the placement test in either case, since the placement test exists to recommend the appropriate level college course to students who have some knowledge of the language.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter for college application purposes if the high school does not add the college courses to its records, since she will report her college courses taken while in high school on college applications.</p>
<p>Answer: Take the Spanish SAT II/Subject test. </p>
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<p>In California, the public universities all require at least high school level 2 or equivalent in a foreign language for frosh admission. However, they also explicitly list a number of ways to fulfill it without two years of high school foreign language courses. For example, if a heritage speaker starts in level 4 and completes the course, that fulfills the requirement with just one year of course work. Same if the heritage speaker starts in a high enough level college course while in high school and completes that course, or even if s/he is given college placement in a higher level course. Or if the heritage speaker gets a high enough score on the SAT subject or AP test for the language.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/agguide/a-g-requirements/e-language/index.html”>http://www.ucop.edu/agguide/a-g-requirements/e-language/index.html</a>
<a href=“http://www.calstate.edu/sas/publications/documents/csu-uc-a-gcomparisonmatrix.pdf”>http://www.calstate.edu/sas/publications/documents/csu-uc-a-gcomparisonmatrix.pdf</a> (see validation on page 2)</p>
<p>“There is a section on the common app to list college courses taken.”</p>
<p>I’ve heard that adcoms don’t pay much attention to this section. That it is ranked the same way as “hobbies”. Is it true? </p>
<p>“I’ve heard that adcoms don’t pay much attention to this section. That it is ranked the same way as “hobbies”. Is it true?”</p>
<p>No, but I’m pleased to see that you’re asking questions and trying to learn the answers versus thinking that you already know how the whole thing works. Where ARE you getting all of this misinformation, though? I get the feeling you’re getting it from other people who are new to this country, too. </p>
<p>College courses taken while in high school can have a significant impact on admissions. At least one poster reported getting into super-selective colleges with high school GPA and SAT scores that normally would be far from competitive there, but with a 4.0 GPA in many courses (including courses more advanced than AP or college frosh level) taken at a local college while in high school. Makes sense when you think about it – performance in college courses is a better predictor of future performance in college courses than high school performance or test scores.</p>
<p>She could take the AP Spanish Literature course, which is a 2-year course of study. If the school doesn’t offer it perhaps she could do it as an independent study, with a Spanish teacher who meets with her regularly and grades/gives feedback on her writing. That’s what my S did for AP French Lit. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if the school is as uncompromising as you say, it is unlikely.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you print out the information regarding meeting the UC language requirement that ucbalum linked to, and take it in to your D’s school and find out how they will accommodate her. I strongly doubt that they will say she has to start with Spanish 1. Has she been assessed by a Spanish teacher at the school? </p>
<p>In terms of admissions, independently learning the Native American language of her ancestors would probably be a huge plus at any private school with holistic admissions and diversity goals. Working to attain proficiency would definitely stand out.</p>
<p>BTW, going to French from Spanish is much more difficult than the other way round. Italian, on the other hand would probably be easy.</p>
<p>Not sure why anyone would think taking a bunch of college courses is comparable to a hobby. I’ve never heard that idea before.</p>
<p>What’s helpful for college admissions is standing out from the crowd in some unique way. </p>
<p>Knowing Java: meh. Tons of high school students know Java.</p>
<p>Knowing more than two languages: much less common.</p>
<p>Knowing more than two languages AND with STEM interests rather than humanities: that’s going to make adcoms sit up and pay attention. </p>
<p>If she doesn’t like languages, then no point in forcing it. But there is value in taking other languages. Even Latin.</p>
<p>“Knowing Java: meh. Tons of high school students know Java.”</p>
<p>I’ve heard the same about AP classes and college classes (especially community college). "Meh… everyone has it, nothing special … "</p>
<p>@ pizzagirl,
"Where ARE you getting all of this misinformation, though? I get the feeling you’re getting it from other people who are new to this country, too. "</p>
<p>Actually, yes, you are right. </p>
<p>“I would suggest that you print out the information regarding meeting the UC language requirement that ucbalum linked to, and take it in to your D’s school and find out how they will accommodate her. I strongly doubt that they will say she has to start with Spanish 1. Has she been assessed by a Spanish teacher at the school?”</p>
<p>Our HS made said that my D. can take either foreign language or arts. In other words, if she is not planning to take Spanish 1, they can accommodate her by signing her for a class in fine art. In other words, they don’t care. </p>
<p>It is rather hard to believe that a high school in California will only put a 9th grader in Spanish 1, given that entering 9th grade students may have varying levels of existing Spanish proficiency, either from heritage knowledge, or from junior high school Spanish course work, or an elementary school immersion program.</p>
<p>I agree it’s just bizarre, especially coming from a state with a high Hispanic population, but perhaps this school doesn’t have a high Hispanic population. I can tell you that taking classes, whatever they are, out of sequence of the herd, can cause all kinds of annoying scheduling issues. </p>
<p>The idea that college level classes would be considered like hobbies is just silly. If the school won’t let her take AP Spanish, she should take a class at the local Community College and submit the transcript when she applies to colleges.</p>
<p>Agree with Mathmom. Take a lit class on Cervantes or something that shows her proficiency-- not worth fighting the school’s administration if they don’t seem willing to bend on this. Important to show that she’s taking her heritage language seriously- sometimes kids try to coast with it (being able to talk to your cousins about popular culture at a family gathering is fantastic for native fluency- but it’s not the same as a serious literature class in that language).</p>
<p>I also have a hard time believing that the only option for Spanish would be Spanish 1, but agree with mathmom that it could be difficult to schedule an AP language class typically taken by juniors and seniors alongside the high level STEM classes typically taken by underclassmen.</p>
<p>And, I do not understand either why the only option aside from Spanish 1 would be a fine arts class, rather than an extra math or compsci class. Is this a very small school with limited class selections? </p>
<p>I would check with individual schools, and see if they would require actual high school foreign language classes for a student who can already demonstrate proficiency above the level achieved by students with three or four years of language instruction. My suspicion is that it would be easier to be taken seriously if a student already has an SAT 2 score (a fait accompli) and I would arrange to have this completed ASAP. </p>
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<p>This is in California? They have never encountered a student who entered fluent in Spanish before, and has to meet the UC standards? I don’t believe it. Is this a tiny private or parochial or charter school with a very limited curriculum, or something? Have you talked to the head of the Foreign Language Department, or whatever they call it? Have you asked that person to assess your D’s Spanish fluency?</p>