In the end, ensure you have a 100% affordable school - like UMW - and that’s the worst case.
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Seconding Bishop’s and Glendon! Most Canadian universities will have terrific French programs and won’t care whether he took Precalc.
Also look into Sciences Po (Reims/Transatlantic Relations) - 2 years in France with English speaking courses&classmates, 3rd year in another country which can be anywhere in the world. Everyone travels by train in Europe.
Another possibility: American U - they offer French combined with lots of other majors and applying for French with a post-AP level would help. Probably easily reachable. Cost may be a problem.
Wrt senior year schedule: for Middlebury and highly ranked LACs, precalculus is a must. For most colleges though, applying for a Humanities major with 4 years of math including AP Stats would be good enough.
Taking a post-AP class or the DELF (with a high enough score available when applying) would likely help a lot. AP level = DELF B1. Post AP= B2 (advanced, 300-level in college). The strongest speakers/writers could reach C1 after a strong program+study abroad. In the meantime he can watch TV5Monde if he doesn’t already and read French comics (he can check out Festival d’Angoulême winners) or magazines (like Okapi or Phosphore).
AP scores and DE grades will also strengthen his application.
Depending on the university, AP would allow students to start in College Language level 4 or 5 (202, 300) so look at the requirements for the major to make sure most courses don’t concentrate on the first 2-3 semesters.
In the past 25 years, most French programs have moved away from the formerly traditional literature-based curriculum with one class per century and have a thematic/cultural focus that makes the major easy to combine with something else. Professors may well teach in other departments (Film/Media Studies, History, African Studies, Political Science…) Basically, students need to manipulate and synthesize linguistic skills but also culturally appropriate references and behaviors. These would often come in complement to other knowledge& skills.
Study abroad: optimal situation would be either one full year with potential immersion into a French school (favor colleges with immersion offers at schools like Sciences Po/IEP, UTT, UTC, ESSEC, KEDGE…) because regular universities tend to be poorly run, or 2 semesters, one in France and one in either North or Sub Saharan Africa. Réunion or Martinique might be other possibilities for a semester. Check the possibilities on the French depts page or email them. NSE with Québec would also be a good possibility.
At all colleges, look at this semester’s and last semester’s schedule.
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That is what this poster was told at Washington and Lee. It is not uniform at ALL colleges.
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It may not be at W&L today. They should ask. I did (bcuz we were shut out).
I think many of the suggestions I’m seeing are far more than 6 hours from Roanoke and if OP is finding they do t qualify for enough aid on the NPCs to meet budget - it’s up to them but it seems many aren’t targeting the desire OP requested.
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Right! I was talking about W&L too. I’m an alum. 
I thought you said for law school you were an alum. Their financial aid policies for law school are not the same as for undergrad.
As noted, check their financial aid policies regarding assets. You might be fine.
I am a law alum, and I received no financial assistance for law school, and this was 20 years ago. I was simply curious about W&L specifically because it’s a school that I know well.
One more Canadian suggestion: Though it’s definitely not that convenient by car from Virginia, Mount Allison is worth checking out. It’s routinely ranked the the top liberal arts school in the country (churns out Rhodes Scholars), and though not located in Quebec, it’s in New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province and half an hour from Moncton, an officially bilingual city. International cost of attendance is only about CAD$40K/USD$28K per year including room and board. There is also a separate scholarship for students interested in French studies.
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Have you considered East Tennessee State University? It is quite affordable, and some counties in Virginia are eligible for in-state tuition. With your son’s background and skillset, he could be a great fit for the Honors College which would provide ample scholarships and study abroad opportunities. The Department of Literature and Language is strong - especially in English, but there is a World Languages major with concentrations in Spanish, German, and Japanese (a concentration in French is targeted for the fall of 2026, currently it’s a minor). The Theatre department is also quite strong if your son is looking to continue with theatre, even as a hobby. Email Literature and Language with your questions - they would be happy to talk to you!
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Any updates @pehp on your son’s college search journey? What did y’all decide for his senior year schedule?
What a great suggestion—thank you! Adding it to the list of schools to investigate as we whittle down our list!
You are kind to ask! We are whittling it down, after a few college visits last spring, and now that SATs, junior year grades, etc are in—that helps give a better picture.
He’s taking a 300-level French course at a local LAC this fall, plus AP art history, AP stats, modern lit and thought, a senior thesis he’ll have to write and defend in front of a committee (!), AP enviro science, and a Shakespeare course. And he is in a play this fall! And he was just voted onto the board of directors for our community theatre! I hope he’ll find time to sleep. And apply to colleges 
He also participated in a fantastic French immersion program this summer. When I originally posted we were not sure if he’d be accepted, but he was, and it was amazing!
We’ve got a decent list of schools with a good variety of safety-match-reach, we just need to whittle it down, because it may be too long right now! 
His favorite so far is Dickinson, but he’s also liked several others very much.
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Just don’t forget your budget.
It’s a bit bigger (10k) but UT Chattanooga is in a great city, is well in budget out of statestate, and well regarded locally. And it’s 5.5 hours from Roanoke.
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Quite right! We revisited the numbers this summer. Our tip-top amount (unless I pick up more work, which is possible but not preferable until 2029 when our youngest goes to school), is $45k. So a bit more flexibility than I had initially posted, which helps.
Of course in all things “as little as I have to spend” is my ideal budget
Do you have a child at CofC? (I think I recall seeing that somewhere?) We toured in March because my son insisted while we were down there. He liked it, but I’m not sure if he’ll apply. If I’m not imagining that you have /have had a child there, could you share your thoughts?
You can’t afford it.
UTC isn’t a bad sub. It’s not as urban but it’s right across the bridge from things. It’s a real campus vs Charleston which isn’t. .
Charleston gets more expensive as you move off campus, not less like most.
Tuition, room and board is $54k at C of C. My kid loved it. There is some merit but for yours, likely not a ton.
I’d look at Chatt if you like Charleston. Right across the bridge from downtown - so lots of action nearby. And hits budget.
The housing situation there was one major concern I had. We have a house in Charleston that he could use, but on-campus living would be preferable & more convenient, and on our tour it sounded like most students were off-campus after the first year. OOS tuition is crazy, so he knows it’s unlikely without some merit aid!
It’s low on our list, but I was curious as to whether your child has had a good experience.
Will check out Chattanooga—I have only driven through the city, but I loved the river and thought it was very pretty….from the road.
There’s a French speaking province just across our northern border. Montreal is just a 4 hour flight from Roanoake. 
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One year on campus is it and it’s uninhabitable in my opinion. The rest off. Supposedly one dorm a year is getting renovated.
We had ours in walking distance of campus - you’re talking $1300+ plus utilities for a dump - and a 12 month lease. Now add food.
Chatt is a great city, lots of tourism downtown and nearby, but has a real campus.
Ours had significant merit - she was a Charleston Fellow - it was in a subgroup of Honors.
Not sure how yours will fare - perhaps that’s possible? May depend on a 32+ ACT.
If I had your budget, I’d skip it - but if you have an extra slot.
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If he’s interested in international work or the state department, maybe check out American University? It’s likely not super reachy, has a nice, contained campus in a suburb of DC and has a nationally ranked School of International Service. It’s possibly a bit larger than the ideal size but it ticks a lot of boxes (although not sure about their French offerings).
I’d echo the recommendations to look at Furman, Sewanee, Rhodes, Centre. (My son applied to Centre and was in the midst of applying for a French language scholarship there when he was accepted to another school and withdrew his application. It seemed like a great place.) Maybe also take a look at Elon, Wofford, JMU, Randolph Macon, Belmont, and Berea. I haven’t looked into their offerings in French, but they are are smaller liberal arts schools ((except JMU) in the Southeast, and would all be somewhat less selective and therefore more likely to give good merit money. Berea is interesting in particular - students there pay no tuition and instead work on-campus for at least 10 hours/week.
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Seconding American. Great French program, can be associated with SIS, Business, etc. Contact with French embassy, plus access to French films&art exhibits in DC.
Berea is for families that make 65-70k or less.
In case it may be if interest , here’s a look at Canadian universities that offer French cohorts or special bilingual programs, for you to check out.
UVic has a solid French program and a French Living Learning Community with single rooms where, (new gov’t rule) being international, he’d be guaranteed a room. However it’s outside your preferred geographic area (it does mean milder weather though).
Not sure whether mixing Sherbrooke (broad offerings, in French) and Bishop’s (small campus, in English) would be possible but perhaps worth enquiring about.
Small East Coast university
Acadia has a French program where future majors either take a regular B1 French class or an “Intermediate class for Immersion students”, which would be of special interest to OP (this would be English speaking students who have had a minimum of 10 years of French). The recommended 1st year program can be complemented with another French Dept class.
Easy to get to but closer to grad school environment (very intense, focused students with great urban campus requiring some degree of autonomy even if first years can live on campus). The minor in Québec studies with experiential learning& community engagement sounds interesting since students have to use their French to do things for the community.
UdeM (Montréal)with 1st year transition program; he could also apply straight to the major of his choice while adding a French minor. Studying in French in a bilingual city would allow him to what would amount to two majors in another university. Excellent, feels less big than UQAM but… not small. On campus housing 1st year only (students share apartments afterwards).
UofT has a strong department with a Literature/Linguistics focus. Although the university is large, the college system (including residences) makes it less daunting than typical. I was told many French specialists are affiliated with St Michaels and Victoria.
UOttawa offers Bilingual programs: 1/3 courses are in French and there’s French language support to complement studying CS or Business or IR in French. Many (most??) students live “across the bridge” in the more student-friendly Québec community of Gatineau. The Immersion degrees come with automatic and competitive scholarships.
(Some indicate CEFR levels, so to help you estimate placement AP=~B1, College300=~B2.)
Note: UBC is well-known on this website but I don’t think it works well. Beside being huge and out of the requested area, UBC’s ArtsOne doesn’t seem to work well for what he’d want. I do include it just in case.
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