<p>So, I'm a sophomore. I'm currently taking Korean 5-6 to fufill the foreign language requirement. Now I'm not that great in Korean and so I have to study for the tests and stuff. The problem is my friends told me that taking Korean when you're Korean is bad for college admission. Is that true?!? I feel guilty about taking Korean now...</p>
<p>P.S I was born and raised in America (I'm an American citizen).</p>
<p>It is no more “bad” than for someone of Spanish ancestry taking Spanish, or someone of German ancestry taking German. The simple fact is that many “heritage” speakers really aren’t that fluent in that ancestral/family language, and that without formal instruction they are unlikely to become literate in that ancestral/family language. Ignore the nay-sayers, and keep doing what you are doing.</p>
<p>Would it be a different story if someone took Korean and they are from Korea?</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure Korean in Korea is taught just like English in the States. Anyway, while I think that taking classes in high school of a language you’re sort of familiar with isn’t that bad, I have read on colleges’ admissions sites that you shouldn’t take an SAT subject test in a language that you speak at home/is your ethnicity, so I wouldn’t recommend doing that.</p>
<p>So you don’t think I should take Korean SAT 2? Well I wasn’t planning on anyways so…</p>
<p>You’re fine! But yeah don’t take Korean SAT II because college admissions won’t count it as one of your subject tests.</p>
<p>I just have to ask.</p>
<p>Do you like Super Junior? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ</p>
<p>LOL sorry! I don’t like K-pop. I think it’s too computerized. :)</p>
<p>There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking Korean if you are Korean. Lots and lots of kids have Chinese or Korean surnames but don’t speak the language very well, or speak but can’t read or write. Colleges know this. In fact, UC Berkeley offers Korean language classes specifically for “heritage speakers.” You are fine.</p>
<p>Really? Do you think colleges will know that? I hope they know that…but colleges will look down on me if they compare me to someone whose Korean but whose taking Spainish?</p>
<p>Do colleges look down on someone whose last name is Rodriguez and takes the Spanish SAT IIs? Do colleges look down on someone whose last name is Le Blanc and takes the French SAT IIs? Ridiculous.</p>
<p>They are not going to care that your surname is Korean and you took the Korean SAT IIs.</p>
<p>The only situation in which colleges do not count the SAT IIs for a language is if you are a native (first language) speaker of the language or if you otherwise speak it fluently with your family - which is something that is entirely self-reported (i.e. they have no way of really checking this fact).</p>
<p>But will they look down on me if I’m good at speaking but not reading and writing? (ESPECIALLY WRITING).</p>
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<p>Depends on the college. Some schools accept high enough AP or SAT subject scores in lieu of high school course work as proof that you know the foreign language (or it may be a bonus beyond any language taken in high school). But others do not want native or heritage language used as one of the two or three they require or recommend. If this situation applies to you, you may want to take the SAT subject test in your native or heritage language in addition to any which are otherwise required or recommended (i.e. as a third SAT subject test in addition to the two that your colleges require or recommend).</p>
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<p>That is actually a common situation for heritage speakers who get a lot of listening and speaking practice at home, but no formal schooling in reading and writing. Some colleges offer courses for heritage speakers whose reading and writing is weaker than their listening and speaking.</p>
<p>I took Chinese 2 (Chinese 5 = AP) and got a B as a freshman. Considering how I was born and raised in China, that was kind of an embarrassment. But I think I turned out fine for college admissions ;)</p>
<p>Really? Well that’s good to know :D</p>