Hey guys. So I know I have made a previous thread regarding high school courses but just hear me out.
So believe it or not, I speak a second language already. I speak Macedonian, which is a Slavic language. Since this is a Slavic language, I am able to speak and understand similar Slavic dialects like Croatian, Serbian, and Slovenian. On top of that, I can also read the Latin and Cyrillic texts of the language. Since I already speak a second language, do I really have to continue taking Italian? Because I feel it would be better to drop Italian and take an extra honors or AP class, and MAYBE take Italian online for credit to go on my transcript instead of allowing the class to take up space on my schedule when I could be taking harder classes to boost my GPA and make my transcript more competitive.
Would dropping Italian hurt my admissions chances since most schools prefer 3-4 years of foreign language? For instance, Ohio State mostly accepts students who take extra foreign language courses, and the other non foreign language students who apply to OSU apparently have less of an admissions chance. Thanks!
This is the link regarding OSU’s requirements under the “admissions criteria” tab. I have also been told many other schools prefer extra foreign language. Link:
http://undergrad.osu.edu/apply/freshmen-columbus/who-gets-in
how many years of Italian have you taken? if it is under three I would not drop it, most colleges want at least three so you do not have to take it at the college level. Do you like Italian ? Doing well in the class? I say keep it if the only reason you are thinking of dropping it is to take another AP class, Italian could be the one thing that makes you stand out, I would assume a small percentage of kids take Italian as a language vs Spanish, French, Latin…
It seems like you are trying to convince people here that what you are doing is ok even though it isn’t exactly what the colleges say they want. The problem, is that you aren’t going to have the same opportunity to convince the person reading your application. That person is going to quickly look at your transcripts, see that you have the recommended courses or not, and then move on to the next part of the application. If other parts of your application are very good, then maybe the person will overlook that you didn’t have all the recommended courses. Maybe not. By not following the recommendations, you create the possibility that it will be a negative and you aren’t going to be able to go back and forth with them to convince them why it shouldn’t matter like you are doing here.
Is there a way you can take a test in Macedonian (from the cultural center or embassy) that’s love your proficiency?
Would it still hurt me if I take an online course for Italian during the year?
If your schools offers Italian yes it would not reflect well on you.
What Italian courses have you already taken?
How selective are the colleges you are targeting, and what do they require or recommend for foreign language course work in high school?
It would be easier to provide the information you need (which is not necessarily the same as the question you’re asking) if you could tell us why you want to drop Italian. What do you want to take instead?
I want to drop Italian for Computer Science honors or physics.
No way you can take physics and Italian?
*that’d prove proficiency?
You are a sophomore doing Italian 2, that would be the minimum for a lot of colleges, and insufficient for pretty much all selective colleges. The vast majority of applicants to top colleges will have 3 years, and many will have 4 years under their belt.
You speak Macedonian. Is there a way for you to demonstrate proficiency? A national exam? Some colleges will accept that, but you have to check first. It would be so much easier if you just did a third year of Italian. I am assuming that the two years of Italian satisfy your high school graduation requirement for foreign language if there is one, correct?
I’m guessing the Macedonian is a family/heritage language, not one you have learned formally? In which case your proficiency won’t show that you are capable of studying a foreign language at a high level.
Suck it up, keep taking Italian and trust us it will help you stand out , and if your trying for a top 25 university standing out vs a ton of the same kids on paper is a good thing.