Taking 4 years of foreign language--ivies like?

Applying to College
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<p>So, I'm trying to figure out my senior schedule and I don't know if I should take Spanish again. It'll be fourth year and I'll be in IB/AP Spanish 6.</p>

<p>There's no separate class for it at my school and it's put together with Spanish 5. I've already taken the IB class and am not looking to take the AP test. So should I take it still cause some colleges like 4 years of foreign language? Or should I use that time to take something new like AP comparative government?</p>

<p>Any help is appreciated, thanks! :)</p>

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<p>In my experience (this is based on the level my friends and I completed), top colleges like to see you get to level 4 in a foreign lanugage. My friends and I saw admission to Ivies and other top schools by only going to level 4 (one before AP). However, the people who were accepted to the most selective schools (HYPS) seemed to have gone to AP level. Whether it was almost a prereq to have taken AP language, or the fact that the type of student admitted to HYP would also be the type to take AP language, you can never tell. </p>

<p>If you've already taken IB Spanish you should be fine for college applications. I would take AP Comparitive Gov unless you wanted to apply as a Spanish/Latin American Studies/Romance Language major.</p>

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<p>Ooh, similar here! I'll hopefully be doing IB Fr. 600 next year, and it'll be like independent study/speaking TA for the Fr. teacher. (I say "hopefully" because regular counselors, not IB counselors, decide my schedule. And the principal doesn't really like me.)</p>

<p>I would say that you don't have to continue language b/c 6 years is enough. Do whatever is more interesting for you. I'm doing Fr. 600 because I want to (erm, NEED to) take the HL exam and there aren't other IB classes I want to take anyways (AP stats is only AP class at my school).</p>

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<p>This goes along with what you guys are talking about, so maybe you can help: I didn't have room in my schedule to take a language freshman year [yes my school's scheduling sucks], but I did Latin I soph year, then what was technically Latin III junior year [tested out of II] but it was really AP Latin: Vergil [my teacher wasn't qualified, so no weighting, but we took the exam and followed the curriculum], then will be in "Latin IV" next year [really Latin Lit, again, not qualified]. So even though it's only 3 years of latin, I got way past the 4 years of learning in. Will the colleges that really like 4 years of lang. view it as only 3 or as the 4 that they want?</p>

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<p>I'm pretty sure when they see Lat IV they'll think "She's reached four years of language". It seems like you skipped some years, and that's OK.</p>

<p>If you're very worried, you should relay your concerns to your counselor and make certain that he/she clarifies it in her letter or rec. You could also email admissions and ask them. They'd be happy to answer your questions, really!</p>

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<p>inveniamviam, i'm in the same position basically, as i took latin iv as a junior. there is no more latin available at my school, so i took another course and am hoping it doesn't work against me!</p>

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<p>haha, spiceupyourlife, there were no AP Latin classes at my school either [they only went to Latin III!!], but I convinced them to do the 2 APs for those who wanted it, and to make the Latin IV class, because we had enough people to make the classes.
Also, ealgian, thanks for your take on things as well! :] Now maybe I can stop worrying so much..</p>

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<p>i just wish my school taught latin....i really wanna learn in but don't wanna buy those programs</p>

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<p>visionquest, if you can get ahold of some Cambridge Latin textbooks, you'd be set. I think they are maybe... $40? each, so that could be a reasonable price to pay, because they are GREAT. At my school, they covered book I and part of II for Latin I, then the rest of II and all of III for latin II [I think.. I didn't take that class]. Our Latin III/IV class just did the AP Vergil curriculum, and if you use the Cambridge "Song of War - readings from Vergil's Aeneid" by LaFleur, it's amazing and there are tons of notes to help you, and it only covers the AP passages that you need to know.</p>

<p>Also, I don't know what grade you're going into, but if you still have time, you can try to get people to sign a thing saying that they'd take a Latin class, and if you get enough and your school is willing to find a teacher, you could get the program started - which could help YOU and look good on applications :]</p>

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<p>ok thanks for the book</p>

<p>ya its too late lol</p>

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<p>INVENIAMVIAM: make sure you put your AP score on your apps so that colleges know you took the AP exam. going into basically AP latin in your second year of it is insane!</p>

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<p>Admissions judge rigor according to what your school offers. If your school doesn't go above IV level, admissions won't punish you for it.</p>

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<p>Hahah thanks klaz413, you're totally right. I only realized how insane I was once the class started. What's REALLY funny is that I was the only one who'd done the skipping classes thing, and when the AP class started, it had like 35 people at least, and by the end of the week, there were only maybe 16. EVERRRYbody dropped. But those that stuck with it were happy with it in the end, because it was a challenge worth enduring.</p>

<p>AND I'm SO hoping I did well, because I'm not calling for my scores and am still waiting for the scores by mail [whyyy do I have to live in GA?!]. I really think I got a 5, and would hate to be disappointed with a 4. Either way, I'll be satisfied I think, since I haven't had much Latin experience anyway. :]</p>