<p>We are currently dealing with this issue at our house. S took 2 years of Spanish in middle school, and at his private school he would have continued on to Spanish 2 in 9th grade. He decided to go to public high school, so he requested Spanish 2. It turned out that he probably could have gone into Spanish 3, but he didn’t mind … he was considered the <em>star</em> of the class, which was filled with 10th & 11th graders … they loved my “little” (at that time!) S. His teacher thought he was amazing & his classmates did, as well. </p>
<p>Flash forward two years. He may have been ahead in 9th grade, but he didn’t learn any more than anyone else over the past couple years. He is now on an even playing field, and while he is a good student, he is no Spanish genius. He is a very shy young man, and he isn’t friends with anyone in this particular class. His first progress report was a C+, “working below apparent potential,” and I talked to his teacher about it at conferences (the kid rarely even gets a B). It turns out that he was doing B work, but she … I kid you not … told me she wants to see her “old kelsmom’sson.” I explained that he is shy. I asked if he was contributing when he is supposed to. She said that he is, but that she expects him to do more … to be a leader, as he was 2 years ago. I thought I had helped her to understand that he may not be able to be the person she expects him to be. It turns out that she hasn’t changed her expectations, and S is completely miserable. As I have said in other posts, his counselor is a mythological creature with whom he has not met since before he began 9th grade (so no help from her). He asked me last night if I would have a problem with him dropping the class and taking Anatomy & Physiology, instead. Frankly, it’s absolutely fine with me. He will go to the office tomorrow to see what he can do … I will intervene if there are any problems. I have not intervened yet because he is adamant that he can handle his own life, and I respect that.</p>
<p>I think that if a class that is not necessary is making a kid’s life miserable, there really is no need to stay … particularly if he can take a class that is more relevant to his interests (he plans to do PharmD). He is a strong student with good grades in honors & AP courses. While he wants to attend a good school, he’s not interested in the elites. He should be fine. If not, then too bad … he’ll find a place that will take him as is. </p>
<p>I don’t see any point to making him “tough it out.” It’s not like he hasn’t been challenged in many ways, academically & socially, already.</p>
<p>Actually my DD is in her 4th year - 2 years at the junior high school which counts as 1 HS year, then 2 more years at the HS for a total of 3. If she were to complete this year, she would have 4 years. Next year, as a senior, she would be unable to take year 5 as they are discontinuing the class.</p>
<p>I appreciate all of the feedback, we are still discussing what to do (Fall semester still has 2 weeks to go).</p>
<p>“Actually my DD is in her 4th year - 2 years at the junior high school which counts as 1 HS year, then 2 more years at the HS for a total of 3. If she were to complete this year, she would have 4 years.”
I suggest you contact the CC at her HS to see if any of the JR high language classes will show up on her transcript. I doubt that they will, and even if they do, the most competitive colleges want 3-4 years of HS language classes, irrespective of Jr high classes taken.</p>
<p>I agree, all of my kids took a foreign language throughout K-12, anything before HS did not count from what we we understood. At our kids’ schools there were seminars to take in any language once you passed AP and many took college classes. That’s the competition at top colleges.</p>
<p>Middle school classes do not count at most colleges, and unless she can show proficiency through a high SAT II or AP score, sticking it out is a much safer option when it comes to admissions at schools like Pomona.
At some other top schools (like Swarthmore) 3 years of language in HS will satisfy the college FL requirement.</p>
<p>Junior High classes will show up on her transcript - they get credit for one year of language if they take it both 7th and 8th grade - and then pass level 2 in that language as a freshman. Same thing that happens with algebra 1 - take algebra 2 and pass it and then you get credit on your transcript for Algebra 1. </p>
<p>They showed up on her older brothers transcript and they are in the online system for her so I am very confident on this one.</p>
<p>It works exactly the same way in our school system. My younger son was nevertheless encouraged to play it safe and take Latin 4 even though he’d originally planned to drop it. He took the Regent exam last year - so he even has proof of a very minimal level of proficiency. They even figure those middle school courses that count for high school in the GPA.</p>
<p>In the end it’s what they have in comparison to the competition. Not saying it wouldn’t show up, just predicting that adcom will wonder why any applicant to a top school would not take a language through AP. Even my neice’s and nephew’s who go to schools with no AP language have made sure to get this at cc’s. Also keep in mind for the schools that have language requirements, a good AP/SATII score can make it go away. For DS at Dartmouth that was a big deal in allowing him freedom to take an additional study abroad term not tied to a language.</p>
<p>Every kid will have strengths and weaknesses on their transcript, with 300 plus posts you already know that!</p>
<p>^ Our high school is like that; it shows up on the transcript and kids often end up with a total of 5 years of language.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine this would be a deal-breaker at Pomona. I think the student should take what she wants. It’s a shame that college admissions has gotten to the point that kids have to fear what colleges will think.</p>
<p>I know Pomona is difficult for CA kids to get into, but I have never heard of anyone rejected from our small high school (we’re far from CA, though.)</p>
<p>Even if the MS course shows up on the HS transcript, colleges don’t have to consider it–and many don’t.</p>
<p>Pomona is perhaps the most elite regional LAC. I attend a fairly competitive public school on the east coast and no one has ever applied there (also an underrepresented state, I believe). It is certainly VERY difficult for CA applicants.</p>
<p>Sure they do. If an applicant takes AP language in a typical HS, adcoms realize that is the fifth year of language, so that student likely started in m/s. Ditto Calc in HS – adcoms don’t need to see the Alg grade from m/s.</p>
<p>I’m from California and we’ve only had one student make it into Pomona over the last 8 years that I’m aware. Because the classes are so small and they don’t want to become too concentrated in Californians, it’s tough!</p>
<p>^^ But even if you take AP language in 10th grade, the very top colleges (like Pomona) will wonder why you didn’t pursue language further at a CC or independently. (Assuming that your school doesn’t offer any classes beyond AP.) Thus, they still expect the equivalent of at least 3 years foreign language and middle school classes don’t “count.”</p>
<p>Me, either; as my son quit French after sophomore year French III (7th & 8th grade had French I) and was accepted at colleges that required three years of foreign language (but not Pomona).</p>
<p>If your intended major is foreign language or linguistics then yeah, taking additional language beyond AP can be a plus factor. But adcoms will not expect you to take classes not offered at your HS. If you take AP Lang as a Soph you can be done with language if that’s your preference – just make sure to take the AP test and score well to place out of any requirements in college. Ditto Calc – if you take Calc BC as a Junior, adcoms won’t expect you to take multi-variate calc at a junior college (if only bcos many don’t even offer it). But again, for someone who is strong in math, taking multi-variate calc at a local college/uni can be a plus factor in admissons, but it is not necessary.</p>
<p>Schools like Pomona still prefer 5 academic solids all four years, which means the Soph AP Lang applicant will have to double in another academic discipline.</p>
<p>BUT…bb is talking about kids who have **completed the sequence at their school **, not about kids who dropped out of the class mid year.</p>
<p>In addition, you do have to consider the competition, as Hmom5 says. My S, for example, had at least 6 academic “solids” every year (jr and sr year 7 through independent study), plus required electives: two languages, English, history, math, lab science (2 senior year). Everything at AP/honors level where available. He was accepted at Pomona but chose to go elsewhere. He was definitely not accepted at every school to which he applied.</p>
<p>BTW, anneberm, kids were considering how colleges would view their academic choices back in the 1970s when I applied. It’s nothing new.</p>
<p>One additional fact for consideration: a friend of mine’s son wanted to drop Spanish after two years in HS (following the standard two years in jr high) and switch to Latin, because he found Spanish very difficult. My friend called the admissions departments of several good colleges and asked how this would be viewed: 2 yrs HS Spanish, 2 yrs HS Latin. The answer was “not positively.”</p>
<p>S1 dropped Spanish after freshman year of HS (had three years; two in MS). Wanted to take journalism to improve his writing and to potentially move to a leadership position. Counselor freaked – S did it anyway. No harm done re: apps.</p>
<p>S2 is taking Spanish V this year (IB SL/AP). Will stop after junior year even though he is considering a major that will require more language study in college. Plans to take other polisci/history stuff (AP/IB level) that he thinks will be more interesting. I’m not going to push him to take a sixth year. He has had 6-7 solids every year, and they are all Honors/AP/IB.</p>
<p>I would stick it out rather than drop a year-long course (in any subject) mid-year.</p>