Learning a foreign language during a gap year. How can I prove it on my application?

Applying to College
1

I know that I’ll be asked to write an essay about my activities in the gap year and what did I learn from them. One of my objectives this summer is to learn Either Italian or Swedish. But I cannot find a language test offered so I could prove what I learned.

How will the Universities handle this?

*My entire plan:-

  • Take a life coaching course
  • Learn a foreign language (I will buy bertlitz CD set and teach myself)
  • Volunteer (I will return to my home country on July 17 and there I know where can I work-got 3 work opportunities-)
  • I wouldn't hide this part but I will retake the SAT as the college counselors noted that this is the part that looks horrible on my application, so I need to improve it during the gap year. The rest factors are quite good and strongly support my application to many top Universities.
2

If you are going to retake the SAT why not take the language SATII (if Italian). In either case, the fact of it will be less important than the why/what you do with it.

3

You do not need to ‘prove’ that you took or mastered or became proficient in a language. If you weave that into your personal narrative as part of your essay and include it on a list of your academic accomplishments that should be adequate. As collegemom says it is how you use the new language skills in your life that will be most important.