<p>I'm a homeschooled junior right now, and I haven't taken a foreign language yet. I chalk it up to irresponsibility on my part by not realizing how important it was to colleges. Next year, however, as a part of my dual enrollment I will be taking Spanish I in the fall and Spanish II in the spring. Although it will only be one year of language, I'll have two credits.</p>
<p>Will this seriously affect my chances of being accepted to competitive schools?</p>
<p>Where do you plan on applying?</p>
<p>Schools in Florida such as UF and UMiami, as well as American, NYU, and Boston College, GWU, and Georgetown. I’m not sure yet which schools are classified as “reaches” for me yet, except of course for Georgetown. I know that that school is a big stretch, but I’m giving it a shot regardless.</p>
<p>Go to the college websites and see what they recommend or require as far as HS preparation. For instance, GT:</p>
<p>[Preparation</a> Process - Office of Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/firstyear/preparation/]Preparation”>http://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/firstyear/preparation/)</p>
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<p>Thanks – do you know if “two years” is equivalent to two credits? Will universities look down on these two credits being taken in one year?</p>
<p>Two years refers to the level, not necessarily the amount of time it took. So, as long as the level is equivalent, it would be considered two years.</p>
<p>Thank you! That’s a relief.</p>
<p>Are they two semesters of high school level Spanish courses, or two semesters of college level Spanish courses? Two semesters of high school level Spanish courses would be seen as completing the first year of high school foreign language. But if they are college level, they may be seen as completing the equivalent of the second or higher year of high school foreign language, depending on the college you take the courses at and the college you are applying to.</p>
<p>Are you taking 2 years of spanish in one year? Can you takr one year intensively over this summer and then the second year in your senior year?</p>
<p>It’s two semesters of college Spanish classes. Spanish I in the fall, Spanish II in the spring. I wanted to take Spanish I this summer, but there were very few options that I’d be able to take and none of the times worked out.</p>
<p>You’re applying to some very selective universities and foreign language DOES matter. Remember, you are competing against students who DID take 3 or 4 years of a foreign language and perhaps even AP. Boston College, for example, even has a foreign language requirement for graduation. So does Georgetown. Here is what the website says regarding undergraduate admissions: “Although no minimum test score or class rank has been established, the Committee on Admission pays particular attention to students who have performed well in a demanding college preparatory curriculum, especially one that involves honors and AP courses. The Undergraduate Admission Office recommends that students pursue four years of coursework in English, social science, mathematics, foreign language, and laboratory science. Coursework completed in 8th grade will not be considered.” Georgetown has a minimum 2 year language requirement for admissions. Bottom line: study the minimum entrance requirements for the universities to which you seek admission and recognize thousands more than you will have exceeded that minimum.</p>
<p>^To clarify, the quote is from Boston College (suggesting 4 years of foreign language), not GT, which says 2 years is fine. If you don’t have four years, this may be a problem for BC, but you should speak to Admissions. If, for example, you are intending to be a biology major and you’ve taken 4-6 lab science classes (Honors and AP), maybe it does not matter so much to them. This is mere speculation; in all cases, do your homework on the universities to which you are applying.</p>
<p>Two semesters of college level foreign language is likely more than level one of high school foreign language, but you need to check both the college you take the courses at and the colleges you are applying to in order to figure out what they are equivalent to in terms of high school foreign language level.</p>
<p>Though some of those on your list recommend three or four years of foreign language , none actually requires more than two (and completing Spanish II would be considered two even though you do both courses in a year). Will that mean your application will have a weakness for those that recommend three or four years? Yes. Will that mean you will be automatically rejected? No. It is one factor that will be considered.</p>