I currently attend a small, public high school in a pretty rural area. I’m looking to apply to some top-ranking colleges in the future. As I’ve been researching these colleges I’ve noticed a common trend: most of them “recommend” three to four years of foreign language. The only problem is, my school doesn’t have a four-year foreign language program. I can only take Spanish 1 and 2. I’ve reached out to my guidance counselor and Spanish teacher, and they told me that there’s no way for me to do any sort of dual enrollment, online classes, or anything else for that matter so that I can take more years of Spanish. Once I apply to these colleges, will I be at a disadvantage? Will I be penalized due to my high school’s curriculum?
No. Colleges don’t expect you to take classes your school doesn’t offer. The School Report, sent by your guidance counselor, will tell them about your school’s curriculum.