Ucbalumnus is our go-to guy for UC.
When kids say they want to avoid lang because they don’t like it, but still want a tippy top, I do roll my eyes. They miss the point.
And on CC, I’m not sure what weight “well known” carries. People are always stating things based on who knows what.
Ok, the long part, sorry.
So I went snooping. My emphasis. Some colleges don’t even tackle this question beyond the stated requirement or recommendation.
http://admissions.yale.edu/advice-selecting-high-school-courses
“Yale does not have any specific entrance requirements (for example, there is no foreign language requirement for admission to Yale). But we do look for students who have taken a balanced set of the rigorous classes available to them. Generally speaking, you should try to take courses each year in English, science, math, the social sciences, and foreign language.”
Stanford: "Our most competitive freshman applicants often have four years (grades 9-12) of English, four years of math (including calculus), four years of social studies, four years of science (including biology, chemistry and physics) and four years of a foreign language.
There is flexibility, however, in how we view an applicant’s curriculum. [There’s your “It depends.”] For example, an applicant may be competitive with just three years of a foreign language through 11th grade but also with five math courses taken in the last four years. Conversely, an applicant may be competitive taking two languages all four years and just three years of social studies." Keyword: not simply what’s recommended, but what makes a kid “competitive.” (And this refers only to the hs prep, not the rest of what they look for.)
Duke: http://admissions.duke.edu/application/overview
“Enroll in the best available and most challenging courses. We recommend four years of English and at least three years of mathematics, natural sciences, foreign language, and social studies.” (And again, for the calc question, the repeated general statement calc isn’t needed: “For students applying to the Pratt School of Engineering, we require coursework in calculus and strongly recommend physics.”)
(For additional idea how intent matters, how a review can be contextual. http://admissions.northwestern.edu/faqs/high-school-courses/ See the difference in the math expectation and, again, calc preferred for engineering.)
Note, these folks aren’t citing AP, though it is usually the most rigorous in hs that offer it. Nor are they saying as long as you get to a certain level. Or that DE classes count as double. Most transcripts don’t include middle school.
Except for schools with rigid curriculums, misc odd district requirements, or limited offerings, choices can reflect the all-important thinking skills and that willingness to stretch. This language thing is not a check box (Ok, I’ll get AP in 9th and be done.) Many kids are, as Stanford hints, ok with less than 4 years of FL. Not because there’s some formula, but because, to be competitive, in the first place, you have to have a whole lot more than just in the box thinking, a high level of challenges taken on and mastered.