Will colleges look down at me for only taking 3 credits of Foreign Language?

<p>I was wondering if my chances for admissions into elite colleges (Ivy Leagues and so on) would be hurt since I'm only able to take 3 credits of Italian at my high school and not 4. In 9th grade I took Italian I and next year I can't take Italian II due to scheduling conflicts (my school has only 1 Italian II class, 1 Honors Italian III, & 1 Gifted & Talented/ AP Italian IV... 2 Italian I classes). I'm going to self study Italian II in 10th grade HOWEVER my school does not award credit for self studying classes. So even though I'll be able to take Honors Italian III in 11th grade and G&T/AP Italian IV in 12th grade, I will not have received credit for Italian II... I will learn all of Italian II & my Italian teacher can back me up with that in letters of recommendation but I'll never have gotten credit for Italian II therefore I'll only have 3 credits of Foreign Language... and Foreign Language (and Engineering) is my favorite class and I'm a part of the Italian Club and will most likely become President of it senior year and will EVENTUALLY get into Italian Honor Society... but I won't have 4 credits of Foreign Language... I'll have 3 credits... I'll have learned 4 years of Italian... but not gotten 4 credits...</p>

<p>will colleges look down on me?
would getting a 740+ on the SAT II in Italian make up for having only 3 credits? or at least help?</p>

<p>I'm considering a double major in Computer Science & Linguistics so any help with this would be appreciated, thanks.</p>

<p>No, because your school doesnt have more classes, they will see this.</p>

<p>Well my school does have Italian 1 thru 4 but they just didn’t offer it during a suitable period for me… so do they still see that?</p>

<p>Well your gc fills out a form that tells how rigorous your course load was, tell her to make a not of that on the form when she’s filling it out</p>

<p>ok, & does self studying Italian II make any difference? Even though i won’t get credit for it…</p>

<p>No .</p>

<p>what about the skipping to Honors Italian III in 11th grade without taking Italian II?</p>

<p>What is the reason that you can’t take Italian 2?</p>

<p>There’s only one Italian II class in my school so scheduling conflicts happen with Italian classes a lot… I have to take some other class that period</p>

<p>Some of the upper tier schools consider foreign language to be a core class. It is not that you do not have it offered, you are choosing to take something else (thus the scheduling conflict). You must decide, and be able to defend, the value of the class you chose instead.</p>

<p>No, it’s not that I CHOSE another class… it’s that I had no choice… almost all of the classes are filled… mainly math & science… so I had to take a math class in that space… it wasn’t that I didn’t have room in my schedule to take it… it’s just that I had to take a different class in that space due to overcrowding and what not… my school is 700 to 800 kids…</p>

<p>There are always choices. Have you looked into taking your class virtually next year so you receive the credit?
Regarding how having finished the 4th year, yet receiving only three credits may effect you, your best bet is to call your target schools and ask.
BTW, overcrowding is a school of 2,500 that was designed for 1,900. I am quite familiar with overcrowding, scheduling conflicts, and choices that have to be made. Sometimes you have to get creative.</p>

<p>i don’t know of anyone who’s gotten into college with only 3 language credits. your life is pretty much over, man. get ready to work at mcdonalds</p>

<p>My school was made for about 600 to 700 yet we have 700 -800. Anyway… it wasn’t a choice you see… I have to take Honors Math next year… and that is only offered two times at my school… the one is overcrowded… and the other one is during Italian II… either way… I lose… and I can’t take the class virtually… and even if I did… i still wouldn’t get school credit… my school has a policy that you have to take a class in the school for credit… at summer school from the county or if it’s AP Stats or AP Physics C you can take it online and get credit… also… whats dumb is how I will have learned 4 years of Italian but only get credit for levels I, II, Honors III, & AP IV … it’s due to school rules and dumb county exams that I can’t get credit for Italian II… I think I’ll ask my one friend who was accepted into Princeton and see what he thinks…</p>

<p>but anyway… let’s say I only got credit for 3 years… is that a TON different than 4?</p>

<p>You chose to take Honors Math, a good choice fwiw, but it is a choice. I just read another thread where a student skipped math entirely one year to get some science classes.</p>

<p>Asking your friend who was accepted at Princeton may make you feel better. I would suggest speaking to someone directly at at least two admissions offices at your target schools. Tell them your situation and ask what their best advise is. You may not get ‘credit’ from your school for an online class, however the college may find it preferable to self-study. Perhaps they can offer another suggestion altogether. Their goal is to help you be the most prepared applicant you can be. Give specifics. Ask a general question, you’ll get a general answer. Knowing how they will be looking at your application will help you make decisions and be at peace knowing you had the right information when you made those decisions.</p>

<p>Alright thanks… but why do I need credit for Italian II if I show the college that i learned all of it through self study by doing well on the SAT II for Italian & skipping to Honors Italian III and taking the AP level in 12th grade? why do they want to see the actual class? also i have my italian teacher’s and the guidance department’s endorsement for me self studying the class if that makes any difference…</p>

<p>nope. i only took 3 credits</p>

<p>and what were the best colleges you got into?</p>