Taking Foreign Language Classes in High School

<p>I've taken two years of Spanish in High School and I don't plan on/really don't want to take a third year during my Senior year because a) I don't have any room in my schedule and b) I've taken my second year online and I hated it and switching to an actual Spanish class would be tremendously difficult considering how poorly online prepares you. I intend on being a part of an Honors College at whatever university I attend so I know I'll need to take a foreign language class there but I thought I'd just start off at one of the lower level Spanish classes and in a way, re-learn some of the things I really didn't learn in online Spanish 2. Is that a realistic thing to do? And will having only two years of Spanish in high school lower my chances at schools? Thanks.</p>

<p>*lower my chances of getting into schools?</p>

<p>I think it would hurt you. To which schools do you plan to apply? Many schools want to see at least three years in one language. Is there a community college where you could possibly take a real course? Either over the summer or during the school year next year? Foreign language is one of the five core academic subjects that schools are looking at/for during each year of high school.</p>

<p>Depending upon what colleges you are looking to attend, yes, it can hurt you. Selective colleges recommend 3 or more years of the same foreign language for admission. Many also have a foreign language requirement to graduate. So if you can test out of it beforehand, it frees up some space on your college schedule,</p>

<p>Examples: </p>

<p>Stanford

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<p>UCLA
<a href=“e”>quote</a>: Language other than English
2 years required, 3 years recommended - Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition, and culture. Courses in languages other English taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part of this requirement if your high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses.

[/quote]
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<p>I’m looking at small-medium private schools such as University of Portland. UP and the other ones I’m looking at don’t require 3 years and many don’t even recommend it. No, I don’t think I could take a class at a community college. I could take a third year online but online is so terrible and though it would make me look better to colleges, it wouldn’t improve my Spanish speaking skills whatsoever. </p>

<p>And also, I may be doing the bare minimum in Foreign Language but I have gone the extra mile in other core subjects such as science. I’m currently in 3 science classes, two are electives but they can be considered at science courses. And next year I’ll be in two AP science classes and an elective science class. So I’m going above and beyond in a path that I’m much more interested in than Foreign language, so doesn’t that help me any? </p>

<p>There is an expectation at all colleges that the applicant will exceed the minimum requirements in one or more subjects, so that would not offset not meeting the minimum requirement is another area. </p>

<p>University of Portland:</p>

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<p>Obviously 2 years meets the minimum, but reading between the lines, they are saying more is better.</p>