<p>For college of arts and sciences students, they "strongly encourage" taking the SAT II test in a foreign language in May or June (if you previously have not taken it).</p>
<p>It is used for placement in a level for your foreign language. Everyone in arts and sciences has to be proficient up through an intermediate level. There also is a placement test available during summer orientation, as well as an online placement test in a couple languages (which apparently they would prefer that you take by early June). </p>
<p>If I'm interpreting the website correctly, it sounds like you are placed by whichever of those tests comes out better???</p>
<p>I believe the test is around $45 if you sign up for it a few weeks in advance. The June SAT II test date is Sat. June 4.</p>
<p>I’ve also encouraged my SEAS student to test as he has five years of FL. Kids DO change their major. It’s better to test while the information is fresh and get the credit if your student has proficiency. You don’t want to switch majors as a second year, find you have a FL requirement, and be a year or more out of FL trying to test. If he doesn’t get the exemption for some reason he hasn’t lost anything (with the exception of prep). YMMV, but it’s something to consider for any student.</p>
<p>Charlie: You are interpreting this correctly. Whatever test has the best score is what is used to place you for your FL. </p>
<p>My advice to entering UVa first years is to take the SAT II in the language you are most proficient in May OR June. Many of you are at the AP level and will be taking the AP exam so it is fresh for you. Those of you that have taken at least 4 years of the language should also be well prepared for the exam. </p>
<p>Next, also take the UVa online exam. However, BE PREPARED to take it. So again, take it May or June before orientation. For some languages you have to take it the morning of orientation because it is not available online. You will know your results right away so you can sign up for the level of the language you need or find you have a score that opts you out. </p>
<p>One more word of advice, if after these exams you find you still need to take one or two levels of the language go that route. DO NOT start another language. You are backtracking at that point. Students are finding beginning a language at UVa is not as easy as they initially thought it would be and have regretted it. In turn they have reverted back to their initial language they began in HS.</p>
<p>I started a new language (Hebrew) which I liked a lot more than my high school language (German) and never regretted it. My first roommate started Russian and she liked that; Italian is also popular. My second roommate had to take all 4 semesters of Spanish I believe, though she might have placed out of one or two, and she hated it. So it really depends on how much you like foreign languages, and the one you end up with. Make sure to use thecourseforum .com to make sure you get a good teacher in any case.</p>
<p>I thought you could be exempt out of language credits if you took 4 years of a language in high school. Am I wrong? I remember reading that on the official website a couple of years ago. (I could be completely wrong, might have been VT or WM).</p>
<p>The options in college are obviously more broad than those in high school. It’s nice to hear about students taking a new language in college. :)</p>
<p>Just checked out the WM website and it was them that exempted for four years. I’d be put in SPAN 2010 or 2020, but I kind of want to pick up Latin. Just wondering if it would be wiser to just do 1-2 semesters of Spanish to finish my requirement or pick up Latin for 5 semesters. Worried that I won’t be able to complete my pre-med classes in time if I take Latin.</p>
<p>Latin is going to be invaluable for medicine, all the naming and things, right? You should take that if you are interested in it. On the other hand, if you have only 1 semester of Spanish left, you should take that and then do Latin (or do them at the same time, whatever you can handle), in case you only want 1 year of Latin or something.</p>
<p>Also, to Dean J and others, I had 2 close friends take American Sign Language and they LOVED it!!! There are some really neat languages offered at UVA.</p>
<p>That is true. I just hope the 5 semesters of Latin doesn’t get in the way of my pre-med reqs or bio major. I would like to apply to medical school on time and really don’t want to be pushed into 5th year :O</p>
<p>Then again, I haven’t even taken a class at UVA yet and all I’m saying could be totally wrong.</p>
<p>SLI @ UVA in the summer is a way to get up to 2 years of language in 8 weeks. A good option for people starting a new language as well as those wanting to make more room in their schedule. </p>
<p>I am Indian, but do NOT know how to speak Hindi, the national language of India. I feel it NECESSARY to take Hindi in UVA, so I know I am taking a new language. I can sort of understand Hindi by context, but I don’t know how to speak it whatsoever. Should I just start at the introductory level, or do I have to take a proficiency test before I am placed?</p>