How much foreign language do you need to get into college?

[peggyfromwastate]

DD15 is a freshman but she took Spanish 1 and 2 in middle school. They go on her high school transcript here (metro DC area), but I'm not sure what will happen when we move after her Sophomore year. She is taking Spanish 3 this year (9th grade).

How many years does she need of a foreign language? Do you need 4? She doesn't want to take Spanish 4, and I think it's kinda a waste of time bc they don't do a good job teaching Spanish here. She's just not getting much out of it. But I don't want to let her drop Spanish if that means she will not get into college. We're talking a STATE school or something here... Maybe a smallish liberal arts but her GPA has already killed her chances of a top tier place, even a lot of the state schools.

Sigh...

Parenting!!

Any thoughts?

[ladymoreta]

Definitely didn't need four when I was applying. I think most schools were 1-2 years. You should be able to look up requirements for individual schools on their websites. I think the main advantage to taking more in high school would b to earn credit before entering college, or placing into a higher level class.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I remember some of the schools that I looked at wanting 2 years of "high school" foreign language...DH went to Northwestern and only took 2 years of a language in HS - I would think that 2 years is fairly common. Did she take Spanish 1 and 2 "at" the high school or is there something on her transcript that shows that she comped out of the first 2 years at her school? Those things would probably make a difference.

I would check with a school or two or the school's college advisor (if they have one).

[peggyfromwastate]

LOL--- based on her lack of Spanish knowledge I really don't think college credit based on her knowledge is in the future...

Has anyone had experience with earning credits towards high school graduation while in middle school?

DD has earned credits for:

Spanish 1
Spanish 2
Algebra
Geometry

All while in middle school, and all of these were graded and count towards her cummulative GPA here. I just don't know if the school she graduates from will accept the credits from middle school too... It makes is hard to plan for what courses to take next year!! Sigh... And of course I won't know exactly what school she'll be going to until basically a few months before she enrolls...

But is this common througout the country? To earn credits towards high school while in middle school?

[peggyfromwastate]

I remember some of the schools that I looked at wanting 2 years of "high school" foreign language...DH went to Northwestern and only took 2 years of a language in HS - I would think that 2 years is fairly common. Did she take Spanish 1 and 2 "at" the high school or is there something on her transcript that shows that she comped out of the first 2 years at her school? Those things would probably make a difference.

I would check with a school or two or the school's college advisor (if they have one).

That's why I was thinking she'd need to take Spanish 4. Because then she'd take Spanish 3 and 4 in high school. Here the Spanish 1 and 2 show up on her transcript and the grades she earned count towards her high school GPA, even though they were taken in 7th and 8th grades... It's wacky.

[Vanquisher]

Ryan is earning credit for HS right now in middle school. I really can't answer your questions though regarding what will count. You dont necessarily need to know the exact school. Can you contact one or two of the most likely districts she'll attend? Most districts have fairly universal policies.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Vanquisher]

I would think that even if her Spanish counts toward high school, it probably wont count toward college, but that's pure conjecture.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[scrub-jay]

Middle school credits didn't count for HS (in CA) when I was in MS/HS. I remember most colleges having a 2 year language requirement.

[peggyfromwastate]

So you think that even if it counts towards completing any language requirement for graduation from high school, that if a college has a foreign language requirement of 2 years at least that it won't accept the middle school credits? Because that's what I was thinking...

I think she should take Japanese for her junior and senior year. But she thinks it's too hard!

[alison]

If she has an interest in Japanese at all, it will be a breeze! Really! It's so easy to speak!

[peggyfromwastate]

LOL- Alison you could take up Spanish and be fluent in like 2 weeks. You are gifted!!

German and Japanese scare me!!

[peggyfromwastate]

Middle school credits didn't count for HS (in CA) when I was in MS/HS. I remember most colleges having a 2 year language requirement.

Well shoot. Chances are DD will be graduating from HS in CA.

So looks like she'll have to take PreCalc after all to get in her math credits then... She's taking Alg 2 and Stat here, but here they count the middle school math towards the 4 years required, so if we stayed here she'd be "done" with math!

Poor girl...

[MissCrabette]

Peggy, she should be able to ask her guidance counselor. I'm sure she's not the first one in this situation.

I think German would be easier for someone who already speaks English. There are so many similarities, and you can deconstruct words to figure out their meaning. I think it would be much easier than Spanish or Japanese.

[alison]

No!!!

I mean it! Japanese is totally easy to speak. There aren't any genders, cases, nothing wacko! It's just the writing system that's crazy.

Spanish actually scares me. Two words for "to be?" What on earth?!

[oceanchild]

Here's the standard Cal State requirements: http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/hi...l/subjects.asp

I'd assume the middle school classes don't count, but I don't know that for sure.