English as second language= no need to take foreign languages in HS?

Applying to College
1

<p>English as second language= no need to take foreign languages in HS? Is that right? </p>

<p>Cornell asks that applicants have 3 units of a foreign language in HS and that deficiencies be explained in a letter accompanying the application. Well i only have 1 unit of foreign language, which was mandatory for graduation. However, my guidance officer briefly explained how i not a native speaker so it was better to me to not deal with a third language in her rec letter. How will that affect me? (i already applied ED to Arts and Sciences and this issue is bugging me.)</p>

2

<p>How long have you been in the States?</p>

3

<p>been in canada for 6 years, moved here in grade 6. Cornell’s policy is that it doesn’t require it if the applicant is learning english as second language, but that applies more to the students who aren’t taught in english. I’m sort of like a “tweener”. So i don’t know how it will impact me.</p>

<p>Any insight hmom5?</p>

4

<p>Tweener is a good way to put it. Ideally you would have been comfortable enough in English to have handled a second language in HS for 2 or 3 years. If you have enough other things they want they may decide to overlook this…</p>

5

<p>I’m wondering about this too. My daughter has a friend whose grandparents are from Japan so she goes to Japanese school but she does not take any foreign language in high school. I don’t know if this qualifies the language requirement or not even for high school graduation requirement.</p>

6

<p>Some school districts do not require foreign language classes for students who are not native speakers of English and who are enrolled in ESL courses. And frankly, this should be a nation-wide policy. ESL is taught so very, very, very much better than most HS foreign language courses that comparing the two is like comparing oranges and road graders.</p>

<p>shuaishuaishuai, if your counselor can explain your school district’s policy to Cornell and other universities, you should not worry about this one second more. You have already mastered a second/foreign language (English). If you need to study another one in college, you already have language acquisition skills that will help you do just that.</p>

<p>Columbia_Student -</p>

<p>In many parts of the US, Japanese School is an every-weekend and most-school-vacation commitment that is designed to keep overseas Japanese students on-level in Japanese Language Arts and other subjects so that they can re-enter the Japanese school system at their age level when they return home. It is extremely demanding. If this young woman has had her HS foreign language graduation requirement waived by her home school district, it is probably because the district recognizes that the level of language skill achieved in the Japanese School is superior to anything she can get in a regular HS course. Should she need to demonstrate language skills for college admission, she will be able to take an AP or other standard exam.</p>

7

<p>Her grandparents are Japanese but her parents and her are born in USA, so that is the confusion. And there are no Japanese at her high school.</p>

8

<p>I think top colleges are not interested in what your school requires for graduation, they are interested in what was available to take. Many high schools have ridiculously easy graduation requirements.</p>

<p>Maybe they will give him a break on their language requirement, but it won’t be because that’s all his school required.</p>

9

<p>well i didn’t enroll in ESL courses. I took the highest level english offered, which isn’t that hard since we don’t have APs.</p>