HI. My son is a junior and is looking at Stanford. However, he has not taken a foreign language. Does he not have a chance at all then? he is number 2 in his class. got a 32 on Act, class vice president, student council, NHS, in cross country and track, secretary of key club, he did a half marathon when he was 15 and he is involved with many other clubs as well. The reason he didn’t take foreign language is because he has a great Art talent so choice that as his elective instead. Please let me know if any of the Ivy league schools will consider him without it. (We are looking into trying to get one or two classes done at a community college before he graduates) I am hoping that him choosing to pursue something he hat talent in, which was Art, is not going to affect him.
How great a talent in art are we talking about? Are we talking about a talent that has resulted in him winning a bunch of big prizes and other recognition for it? If not, I think he is going to be hurt at schools that ask for several years of foreign language. Can’t he take at least one year of foreign language next year?
Yeah, I am going to look into an online class. I was the one that pushed for him to take Art because I said, if you are given a gift then you should use it and with his AP classes he didn’t have room for both. He is one of the best artists in his class, yes. I can’t say he has a lot of awards from it because he hasn’t really entered too many contests but he certainly could show pictures of his work.
Most elite schools want you to take 4 years of the 5 core subjects. They want the 4 years of the foreign language to be the same foreign language. Your guidance counselor should have informed you of the repercussions of dropping a foreign language before he did it. What did the guidance department say now?
Showing his work in an arts supplement is a good idea. However, at selective schools like Stanford and the Ivies, he’ll be competing with students who have entered–and won–a lot of contests. Some of them will have had exhibitions, or will have studied with well-known art teachers, and on and on. I don’t want to discourage you too much, but you really can’t leave any stone unturned if you want to compete for slots in those schools.
@Jenmadden it would be ideal if your son had Art related ECs to make a strong point and make up for the language. Unfortunately, it seems like he spread himself out in his ECs which don’t make him stand out. If he can show his art “gift” it will greatly help.
Unfortunately there will be thousands of kids applying to Stanford who are at the top of their class, have a 35 or 36 ACT, and also have 4 years of a foreign language. If Stanford requires or recommends a certain level of foreign language, they have their pick of kids who meet that recommendation. Unless, as others have said, there’s a tremendously compelling story behind the art, they’re unlikely to look any closer at a student who does not meet that requirement.
Not having a foreign language is going to hurt at a number of schools outside of Stanford and the Ivy League (note - Stanford is not a part of the Ivy League).
Stanford only accepts 5% of students who apply.
California UC’s require a minimum 2 years even to apply so if the requirement is not met the application will not be considered, that is
if he is considering UCLA/UCB etc… I agree that his counselor should have pushed the point of gettng a few years done. My son’s HS requires FL as a graduation requirement. Taking 2 semesters at a CC would equal 2 years.
Officially Stanford recommends 3 years of a foreign language, and ‘rigor’ is considered very important.
He can probably take 2 foreign language classes over the summer at his local community college. Then during his senior year he can take the 3rd year at his high school. Or even continue it at the CC as a night class.
If it matters or not is hard to say though. It probably depends on how great his art talent is and if he is able to impress the college with that talent through a portfolio. These are top schools and they generally do what they want. He could also take an art class over the summer at his top school and see if he can get the instructor to support his application.
If he takes 2 semesters or 3 quarters of a foreign language, he’d have the minimum equivalent level he needs for most flagships. One more level and he meets selective colleges’ basic expectation.
“great gift” for universities and LACs ranked in the top 25 should translate as a city-wide exhibit, regional/state/national prizes, newspaper write ups (not just the local paper but a recognized paper)…
“best in high school” is good for universities ranked 50-125, but isn’t quite up to par for top schools. Your son, if his gift really is amazing, needs to have external recognition. Of course, he’ll be able to use a special part of commonapp where he’ll be able to upload his work, and if it’s good and he’s applying for art (among his selected majors, he will probably be able to list several), it’ll help him.
But for any university or LAC ranked 1-25, he’d need the foreign language level AND the art recognition.
Hopefully your last name is Picasso.
Thanks for all the help. It was probably my fault, like I said as he considered Spanish his freshman year. I don’t think guidance officers at our public school do that much to make sure they are on track, which is a bummer as I guess some of their input would have helped his sophomore year of saying, hey you are number 2 out of 325 kids you should take foreign language if you want to get into any big schools. Now what about the question of not having as many AP classes as other applicants. he has taken what he can but our school doesn’t offer them in all these classes I see listed on other applicants. His grandfather went to Penn so he has a little better chance there to get in I guess.
He will not be faulted if took as many AP’s offered at his HS. Counselors will send a school profile showing what AP courses are offered. As long as his GC signs off that he took a rigorous course, he should be fine in that respect.
Number of AP’s is relative to what the school offers. So if he’s taken a large number of AP classes that his high school offers, he’s good to go.
Unfortunately, for Penn only ED applicants get an advantage from legacy, which means he’d need to get his foreign language sorted out starting now (Spring Quarter at a CC?) + summer AND he’d need to get his exhibit and everything else starting now too.
Are you in PA? Because Penn State has an intensive summer program where students get 12 college credits (equivalent to level 4 in high school) in one summer. It’s a lot of work but it’s supposed to be rather fun, with projects, etc. Other universities may offer similar programs. There’s also Middlebury’s intensive program, but I don’t know if applications are still open.
http://language-institute.outreach.psu.edu/
http://middleburyinteractive.com/summer-language-academy
For a less intense introduction that’d have to be supplemented, there are Concordia Language Villages:
http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/
If you have legacy at Penn then you want to make sure he applies ED. They won’t hold the fact that his high school doesn’t have many AP classes for him to take against him.
I think you should contact Penn admissions and ask them about the foreign language situation.
I did contact Penn and they said it was recommended but not required. So hopeful at least on that one. 
@MYOS1634 no we are in Illinois. Good idea though. WE are looking into the Spanish for sure for summer.
Can you tell me if a community college credit for a foreign language will count the same when he is applying to colleges? Even if he can’t receive a dual credit at the high school for it. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.
@MYOS1634 Please see above. thanks.
Community college credits count more than high school classes : typically, 2 semesters of a foreign language will be considered as equal to three years in high school. One summer term + two regular semesters would count as 4years or AP.