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

[Pollyanna]

You need a minimum of two years of the SAME foreign language for state schools and at least three for the more competitive schools. I would be careful with the middle school credits. Our middle school does that as well but the private high school our kids go to do not accept the credits. Three years of a middle school language typically counts as 1 year of a high school credit. No matter what they tell you I would call around to some colleges and double check. Her other option is to take a CLEP test if she is really good at Spanish.

[corn poffi]

I really don't think colleges look at middle school transcripts at all, so I think she'll need 2–3 years of foreign language in high school as well. But, like everybody else has suggested, I'd call specific schools she's interested in to double-check.

[mommax3]

If it counts for HS credit and is on her HS transcript, it will be viewed as a HS class by colleges, I am pretty sure. Students at my (small, rural) middle school have the opportunity to take Algebra, an Agriculture class, and an advanced Art class for HS credit....the classes show on their transcripts and the grades count toward their GPA.

[peggyfromwastate]

Yes, Sally, this is what's confusing...

The courses do show up as High School classes. It's not the same as "middle school" spanish. That's labeled "Spanish 1-A" or something like that- it's supposedly half the material covered vs the regular class. The Spanish 1 she took in 7th grade was supposedly equivalent to the high school Spanish 1. And they do show up on her high school transcripts She has earned high school foreign language credit and grades, like it or not, in middle school. Her transcript has the middle school courses listed, and they aren't listed as middles school courses, they are counted just the same as all the other high school credits she's earned.

I don't see her getting 3 years of one foreign language while a high schooler-- that would mean taking Spanish 5 if the colleges don't recognize the middle school years.

It's a confusing thing for me! I tried to ask the counselor about all this before, too. She wasn't helpful... But there is no way to re-take a middle school credit class here in order to "erase" the middle school grade. For instance, if you got a "C" in Spanish 1 in middle school, if you retake it in high school and get an "A", the transcript shows that you have 2 grades for Spanish 1- and it doesn't affect the credits you get. You just have an "A" and a "C" (which sort of helps the overall GPA), but you still only get 1 foreign language credit for taking Spanish 1.

Anyway, if we go to a school district that offers Japanese she says she'd be very interested in taking that after all.

And since Alison says it's so easy, you know! Haha. No one believes you Alison. My Dh tried to take Japanese and he said it was VERY hard. And he speaks Spanish and English. And Dawktor. He speaks Dawktor too...

[alison]

Hahahaha!

[Deebs]

I just looked at what is currently required at my alma mater - it's below. I'd say if she's 1 year away from 4 years (but possibly only 2 years, depending on how that credit shows up when she moves to another state), I'd definitely have her stick it out. What is she trying to "make room" for? If it's something more core-curriculum, then I'd possibly consider her dropping it. I just wouldn't want to run into the situation where only 1 of those years counts, for some reason, and limit her choices.

High School Coursework Requirements
Subject Minimum Required Years of Coursework Recommended Years of Coursework
English 4 4
Math 3 or 3.5 4
Social Sciences 2 4
Lab Sciences 2 4
One Foreign Language 2 4
Flexible Academic Units 2 4+

[HouseofWool]

*I have nothing to add to the real discussion at hand*

Alison - is Japanese inflected like Chinese is?

[Michele]

In Florida, her Spanish classes would count as her high school credit if the school codes it properly in the computer system. If it's going on her HS transcript then it's HS credit, no matter that she took it in middle school. My mom and sister are both in the FL school system and confirmed this for me. Same with the maths....she won't repeat Algebra and Geometry in HS if she's done them in middle.

[lovelight]

I agree with Michele. I did Spanish 1, algebra, and geometry in middle school and all counted as high school credits. (I did two more years of Spanish in high school - I couldn't stand going beyond Spanish 3!) I am pretty certain that you are required by high schools to have 2 years of the same foreign language and since it is a requirement to graduate high school colleges assume it has been done by the time you are applying to them....if that makes sense?

[DCJenn]

Back when I was in the MoCo school system, we needed a language for three years unless you had a substitute- like two years and working on the school newspaper. My ninth grade French counted, as did all of my ninth grade classes, even though it was technically the junior high. No one got credit for 7th and 8th grade classes so that's changed (in the oh, 30 years it's been since I was in junior high!)

My college (private, liberal arts) required two years of a language to graduate but back then you could take Cobol (for those of you who are youngsters: COBOL ( /ˈkoʊbɒl/) is one of the oldest programming languages. Its name is an acronym for COmmon Business-Oriented Language, defining its primary domain in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments.- it's still used in finance, FYI.) or other programming languages and Latin was also an option.

Jenn

[Meenah]

Frm my kid's experience, two to three years.

[alison]

Yes! It's inflected. You just tack on endings for questions, past, present, and future. And no gender bs.

[madeintaiwan]

The UC's [University of CA] require two years, but recommend 3. I took 4 years of Spanish as did both of my cousins. DH took 4 years of Latin in HS. Does she know where she wants to apply for college? I know that the different systems have different requirements. My little cousin went to HS in AZ but wanted to go to a UC which had requirements beyond her basic HS graduation requirements.

[peggyfromwastate]

She has no idea where she wants to go to college. That is going to be very tricky too since we will probably be moving right after she graduated high school. Maybe she will go to a state school in Washington bc that's for sure the only state we will have residency in even if we don't get stationed there. We will not know where dh will be stationeduntil the winter/spring before she graduates- so that's after applications are due.

???

It seems like a language requirement may be the least of her troubles! Poor kid!!

[MrsK]

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.

This. It's been 20 years since I applied to college so I'd definitely check out the current requirements. I had a zillion years of Spanish from grade school through high school -- it was pretty standard for schools in Miami. I am definitely not proficient but I had enough credits that I did not have to take ANY language in college. That was a real benefit for me because I hated my Spanish classes and it freed up my schedule to take classes I wanted to take, pick up a second major, etc.