Will this hurt my chances?

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>I am applying to HYP, Columbia, Northwestern, Dartmouth etc. and I haven't taken any foreign language classes in high school. I don't know why I didn't, but there is nothing I can do about it now. I know that the top schools only "recommend" that you have 3-4 years of a foreign language, but I feel as though this will hurt my chances. Its something that all the other distinguished applicants will have and I wont. How big of a set back is this?</p>

2

<p>not that big.</p>

3

<p>Can’t say but you’re really supposed to study another language in HS (preferably for 4 years). It’s a little bit beyond a recommendation.</p>

4

<p>Im confused how you even got out of studying another language. Im assuming youre Canadian, since this is the Canada board – in Canada (at least Ontario) you have to take French from Grades 4-9, MANDATORY. I really do not know how you got swept under the rug on mandatory education…</p>

5

<p>^they are talking about 3-4 HS credits</p>

<p>and if anyone wants to go on the CC Chat!</p>

<p><a href=“http://webchat.freenode.net/[/url]”>http://webchat.freenode.net/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>username = CC username
channel = CCCanada</p>

6

<p>Well over here in Saskatchewan it is not mandatory after elementary school, and I filled my electives with classes in the performing arts because thats what I was interested in. Little did I know that I should have taken french :(</p>

7

<p>^i have only 2 years of spanish and 1 yr. of french. i don’t think it would be a huge disadvantage. i know lots of people who didn’t take french/a language all 4 years that got into top schools, including a girl from my school last year.</p>

8

<p>Cheer up wb; it’s not going to sink you =]</p>

9

<p>I’m at Duke right now and I didn’t take a second language past grade 9.</p>

10

<p>aww man, I thought this was a big deal, so I’m taking gr 11 french this semester and gr 12 french next semester.
those gr 11s are scary and I’m all alone and I forgot how french class is all groupwork and oral presentations and crap. TAT</p>

11

<p>Thanks for your reassurance guys! I actually talked to my counselor about this last week (I finally made an appointment) and he said that it really is only a recommendation and that it is more important that I have all of my required courses, like all of my sciences and maths etc. especially since I want to study science/medicine. I am actually very lucky this year because we just got a new counselor who used to be at a school that sends a few kids to the states (unlike my school), so he is actually useful! </p>

<p>Oh and @hinderpanda don’t worry, it is probably a good thing that you took your languages, even if you’re stuck in a grade 11 class. It will only work to your benefit.</p>