it seems to me like most colleges recommend 4 years, but do not explicitly require it. take this w a boatload of salt though bc this is from my uninformed and very confused pov… how much influence does taking 3 years of a FL as compared to 4 make in the admissioms process anyways?
I don’t know either - we are going for quality not quantity…In your case, you have 2 languages? That’s great! Remember: If you are a student-athlete and are seeking a NCAA scholarship down the road, please check again with your academic dean because NCAA Div1 and Div II have their own language and other academic course requirements for eligibility that may/may not be different than your school’s graduation requirement.
@CavsFan2003 Again, it depends upon the college you are targeting. If the college has a 5% acceptance rate and makes HS curriculum suggestions, it does so with the expectation that students will follow it barring extenuating circumstances.
Extenuating circumstances include :
• Applicant is an international student following a curriculum that does not align with the American standard. (e.g. UK)
• Schedule conflicts preclude the student from achieving the recommendations (in which case, the GC should say so in the GC rec)
• HS graduation requirements supersede a college’s recommended preparation ( a common issue with boarding school students applying to colleges that ask for 4 years of everything.
• For pedagogical reasons, the HS does not start study in a core subject until sophomore year.
• The HS discontinued the FL for budgetary reasons/staff retirement. Again, the GC should indicate this on the Secondary School Report.
Extenuating circumstances do not include:
• The applicant chooses to double up on one core subject at the expense of another core subject
• The applicant does not like a certain subject
• The teacher of a certain subject sucks.
Also keep in mind that many top colleges require foreign language to graduate. Harvard, as an example, requires 4 semesters unless you place out or place into a higher level. So the more you take in HS, the less (hopefully) you have to take in college.
That said, your college application will be viewed holistically. There is not a checklist of things one needs. And a compelling application can still be accepted with some small holes. As an example, and I know that the plural of anecdote is not data, many top schools asks for a year of bio/chem/physics. I never took bio. Not regular bio. Not AP-level bio. Not bio is middle school to count for HS. Nothing. I did however, take 4 years of very rigorous science classes. And I did well in the admissions process. However, be aware that the student that want to drop a foreign language to “focus more on STEM classes” are a dime a dozen. No college expects (or wants) HS students to be specialists; that’s what grad school is for.
But we are really getting ahead of ourselves here since you have not even started BS yet.
@CavsFan2003 Both my siblings went through the college app process and I can confirm that essentially all the ivies/“top” schools consider a second language as one of the core classes. In essence, they prefer for students to go as far as they can in that subject (just like they do in math and English). Granted, not taking math or english one year would be a MUCH larger red flag than not taking a language, but unless there is a REALLY good reason not to continue a language, then your BS college counselor will probably recommend you continue taking it.
@ImWaisian That is all we have received from Exeter as well.
I think like with most things, it depends. Our daughter took 4 years of foreign language, but only took math and english 2 of the 3 terms senior year. She completed calculus and then took a term off and moved to statistics. English she took art of the protest and a class on a modern author. As she applied as a Russian major, it was certainly important that she completed 4 years of study in this area, as it was offered. I think it is hard to generalize what any college is looking for, with the exception of the UC schools and maybe other state schools.
We found the most important thing in the college app process was to be true to yourself and pursue your unique path. She also didn’t sit for one AP year and this didn’t impact her results either.
FWIW…our kiddo is completing language XYZ at level IV during Freshman year - but had taken it since elementary school. Kiddo didn’t want to go onto Level V or onto AP, but did want to take advantage of starting a new language at BS . As Kiddo matriculated through the Freshman year at BS, really developed an interest in politics/middle eastern studies and is thinking about starting Arabic as a 10th grader.
Here is the question: If some colleges don’t really look at Freshman year, will they not see that Kiddo completed Level IV of XYZ language and just see that the applicant as a Senior will only be on Level 3 of Arabic? Do you think this will hurt? Should we not pursue a second language? Because something has to give and there will be high level math, science, and AP History courses to take as Junior and Senior.
It’s sad to think that you kids have to be locked into a language as a Freshman - that’s not what BS should really be about - you all should be exploring new avenues of interest and developing new passions of study. Wait until adulthood when you don’t have these opportunities ? !
I’m still trying to pick between French and Mandarin! I love French but I’d love to be able to talk to my family
@Golfgr8 I can’t imagine any college having an issue with that scenario. As I said upthread, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But exhausting (or coming very close to exhausting) the offerings would be a valid reason, IMO, for starting something anew, particularly if the interest in politics/ME studies is borne out elsewhere in the application.
@misslilbookworm Sorry that this is quite late, but a few people have been able to take that class in their private/junior-boarding school or elsewhere. I remember when I toured for junior boarding schools I heard the interviewer tell us about certain individuals who went far in math. I personally took math at the local state college on top of my regular public middle school classes. And yes, even though I knew up to pre-calculus I still took Algebra 1 with the rest of my classmates as that was the highest class in math I could take.
Colleges DO look at the whole HS transcript, including freshman year. They just don’t give as much weight to freshman year grades as they do to grades achieved in more recent years. Freshman grades count a LOT less.
Did your college counselor say something different, @Golfgr8 ?
I agree with @CaliMex - and I would hope smart colleges will take steps further: by looking less at where we started in freshmen year, but more at where we reached in the junior/senior years, and how far we have traveled…
Assuming that I’m repeating sophomore year next year, which I am, will my current sophomore grades treated/valued as a freshman year grade?
No.
There is no magic checklist for college admissions. They do not look at you application in a vacuum. While some colleges announce that they do not consider freshman grades (e.g. UCs) others are less transparent. One cannot make a blanket statement that freshman grades are not important, or are less important. Keep in mind, the competition will include those who have perfect grades freshman year. That said, an upward trend in grades is viewed more positively than a downward trend in grades. The flip side is that courses get more difficult junior/senior year, and some slight slippage in grades in normal and not unexpected.
Given that this is a freakout thread about the first year of BS, and presumably nobody asking questions has spent day 1 as a BS student, you guys need to calm down about college admissions.
Just to add to what was posted above…for those of you who are newly minted First Year’s and/or 14 year -olds “freaking out”, please (as Pee Wee Herman would say) “turn that frown upside down” ?! You are not EVEN in high school yet, so give yourselves a year off from freaking out about college prep - there will be plenty of time for that. What I wish for you all is that you will be open to new learning experiences, new areas of study, and the many opportunities that await you at boarding school. Now is the time in your life to take some risks (safe ones, like academic risks) and expand your world. What’s the worse that can happen? You get a B? You decide you don’t like Physics as much as you like Bio? You discover you prefer reading Camus over studying for BC Calc? Now is the time to grow. It’s your time - own your journey!
During the first year of BS, you may develop some inner strength and conviction to say “No” and/or “I want” to an advisor who doesn’t really know you and/or may try to make you fit into a specific rubric based on your placement tests or grades. Why take 5 or 6 years of the same language and be miserable? There have been posters earlier on CC who, thanks to BS, have discovered Latin or Greek. We know kids who are learning a new musical instrument at BS and/or have fallen in love with Classical literature (just some examples).
A year from now, you may be more curious about a certain area of study, but you guys are still young. Sometimes, it is frightening to face the unknown or forge a new trail in your life. So, you may seek out someone else’s path or one that is already defined. Forge your own trail. This may be the only opportunity you can do so with so very many people (teachers, parents, classmates) to support you. It’s unrealistic and unfair to be pressured into a specific path of study, or racing toward a fantasized collegiate path as a First Year. Further, I believe your BS experience will actually be more “collegiate” than any college experience you all will have in college.
Just saying…now, if you want to also learn to play golf the course is open ?!
Who? 
Haha thanks for the posts above @skieurope @Golfgr8 I have APs next week so I’m just kind of unreasonably stressed out right now. FWIW, I’m taking Physics next year instead of Chem which most sophomore takes since I do robotics and physics would be very helpful. I’m still unsure about future science classes but I guess I’ll just have to see as it goes.
@skieurope I actually took a AP language class and just took my test. Would that fulfill the four year requirements that some colleges have? Also, would this count towards my graduation requirement for Andover? I’m actually also taking Spanish 1 this year and I was wondering if I should continue taking it for the rest of high school.
Usually, with a 5, yes, but it depends upon the college. Also note that some colleges - Yale comes to mind - require FL study in college regardless of test scores or demonstrated fluency. An AP score may get it down to one course, but it’s one more than zero. Of course, the hard part is getting into Yale.
AFAIK, Andover will only use its own placement tests.
I’m thinking of starting a new foreign language (either Chinese or Latin) but that means I’d have 3 years of Spanish and 3 years of another language… not sure if I’d want to do that or just finish Spanish.