Transcript/Foreign Languages

Hi all.
S25 is the only kid taking Spanish IV at his school. As a result, his teacher and GC are recommending he take the online Spanish IV course this year instead. We live in a rural state and we have an available online option designed (pre-Covid) for small rural schools that do not have the resources to offer as much as our more urban counterparts. He has inquired about and is developing an independent study that will in theory align with state curriculum guidelines/standards, but he has been told it will show up on his transcript as “independent study Spanish IV”.

In your experience, how do AOs view independent study, especially as a junior, on a transcript? He maintains context counts: small rural school unable to offer a class, he designed his own. He also plans to TA rather than take AP Spanish online next year. Not sure how that is going to work or what it will look like on a transcript if it’s on there at all.
Thanks.

My daughter couldn’t take Chinese 3. Not enough kids. Teacher was let go.

She noted it in the addl info. Prob shouldn’t have…most say the counselor should but the counselor didn’t even know her. I think they just send a profile.

So she had two years of FL and got into sub 30% admits.

I think he’s fine on line or skipping. You’re not expected to take what isn’t possible.

While the counselor should, it won’t hurt writing a line in the additional info that you maximized the language offerings in your school.

I think having the independent study class is perfectly fine. IMO the fact that he pursued coursework at a level beyond what is offered at the HS would reflect well on your S.

I would ask the guidance counselor to note the reason for taking the independent study course when he/she writes your S’s LOR for colleges. If the guidance counselor doesn’t want to mention it for any reason, your S can always mention it briefly in the additional information section of the application.

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I agree 100%.