With regards to language requirements, I have been thinking of this as well. My D17 started in Spanish 2 (took two years of Spanish in middle school) as a freshman and then skipped Spanish 3 and instead took Spanish 4 as a sophomore. This is NOT b/c she is particularly good at Spanish (she’s not) but mostly b/c the teacher is kind of a joke and the classes are not challenging. She opted not to sign up for AP Spanish as a senior even though she probably could have gotten an A (again due to lack of rigor rather than mastering the material). Instead she signed up for two semesters of art that she really wants to take (she’s pretty talented as a drawer and painter, but certainly not portfolio-grade stuff). I’ve been worrying whether she’d be docked for taking only two years of a language, even though she completed Spanish 4.
With all that said, she just texted to say that the college admissions advisor at Smith said that she’d be considered as having completed four years of language (yay!) but that she should really consider taking AP Spanish this year (boo). Not sure if that information helps you @CT1417@curiositycat333@RightCoaster@itsgettingreal17 but I thought I’d pass it along.
@CT1417 I’m not sure how it will appear. I think we may have some leeway, which is why I first wanted some opinions on how it would be considered by people who know languages. If the HS does not make it at least an Honors level, then I’m inclined to just give her a study hall instead, or have her take a business course or something she would have more fun in. I’m really just thinking of this now…so I haven’t fully processed it. Didn’t think of this when we came up with the idea, and obviously didn’t ask the right questions.
@Ct1417 Which schools have you seen that don’t accept Latin? This is a huge topic of conversation amg homeschoolers, and most report that most schools do accept Latin. (IIRC, the academies don’t.) My 9th grader is only planning on Latin, so I would like to be more aware. She is my rise to not plan on another language.
@itsgettingreal17 Wait-- we’re supposed to make a plan? I’m starting to gather that. :))
I hesitate to admit this on here, but S will graduate HS with 2 years of foreign language. Limited scheduling options at his HS, total lack of interest on his part, and early indications of admission requirements led us to believe this would be OK. I truly think he can get into all the schools on his list (all large state universities or STEM-only schools) with that. If the college he ends up attending requires more to graduate, he’ll take it there. Although I think he would prefer to study something other than Spanish (the only choice he had in HS).
For perspective, D14’s college major requires one Spanish class taken in college to graduate. After four years in HS, she tested into the lowest class. Oh well.
@2muchquan Technical answer, you cannot call it AP. AP is a trademark owned by CB and only courses with approved CB syllabuses can have the AP label put on a transcript.
You can submit a syllabus to CB for approval. If that designation matters, I would talk to your GC about your Dd doing that. (They are easy to find online. You don’t have to create your own. Just find one that matches the materials she will be using.)
games We have an extensive collection of euro games. 7 Wonders, Civilization, Suburbia, Nations, all get played regularly. My older son has loved games since he was young boy. Instead of video games we’d just buy new games for the kid’s birthdays and holidays. My older son destroys us at gaming, he has the ability to sort of card count and remember everything going on. He enjoys reading rulebooks. He grasps the rules immediately and can formulate an optimum game plan right away. Very hard to beat him. I believe game playing has improved my kid’s ability to perform certain real life functions better. More fun than TV too!!
@picklesarenice thanks for info. If my son was going to a LAC I think the 4th year of HS spanish would be good, but he we checked and fortunately for the schools he is applying to he has reached the required level. yay!!
My DD took Latin. It’s hugely popular at our school with a great teacher. So I know other parents who’s kids took Latin. I’ve never heard of a university that doesn’t allow Latin being used for acceptance purposes. But for many universities a high enough level of H.S. language fulfills their language requirements (University of California for example), but for some schools Latin doesn’t fulfill this and they students have to take another language in order to graduate. Not sure I’ve explained that well.
Bridge and Games - @itsgettingreal17, the local adult bridge club started bridge clubs in middle school about 4 or 5 years ago. Now there kids are in HS (like S) and the clubs have moved ito the HS. The game is reviving somewhat. S has been to a number of local (driving distance. not flying distance) tournaments in the past couple of years. I am the “not a game person” in my family. I like cribbage and taught the kids. We stopped playing it for some reason. My kids love Uno and Phase 10. I can do Uno, bi=ut not Phase 10. I do like Rummikub though (not a card game). The rest of the family likes many different board games.
Languages - S took 3 HS years of Spanish, didn’t love it, and decided not to take the 4th year. He knows that may put him at a disadvantage at some schools (Cal Poly comes to mind), but he really didn’t like it and wasn’t gaining enough from it to offset the potential hit to the GPA. He is not focusing on elite schools and the schools he likes best do not require 4 years of language.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek Yikes! I don’t care about the AP designation that much! Good to know, though. I have to go update the SRAR for UPitt and USofC then! =)) :-?? #:-S :ar! (i just like the pirate)
@Mom2aphysicsgeek – not schools that will not accept Latin, but schools that have their own FL requirement. Am not sure I am helping clarify here.
Many business and engineering programs do not require the students to take FL while enrolled in college. They may want four years of HS FL and will accept Latin (I certainly hope so!), but do not require students to enroll in FL in college. Contrast that with an A&S program that may require two semesters or two years or allow student to test out. So what I was saying is once my son knows where he will end up, he will investigate their FL requirement and take Latin, if it will allow him to place out of FL at college.
Notice for Latin they say: “Department of Classics determines credit and placement based on departmental examination.” I learned nothing additional when I tried questioning the Ad Com after the session.
But they seem to defer to the dept for all FLs, unlike math & science where AP scores automatically exempt.
Some colleges will exempt based on certain SAT II scores, so I am hoping that son ends up at one of those, if he even needs to take FL.
@curiositycat333 – just read your post and I think you explained it better than I have!
@IABooks Your son will probably be fine. Most large state schools I’ve seen tend to either say 2 years, or 2 years min plus recommended 3. And if your school doesn’t really offer much they are willing to be give more leeway. Particularly if your S is looking in STEM and he is strong in that.
One example is Cal Poly. They have this huge list of “preferred” extra classes, including 4 years of language. A few of us on another page were discussing this list of extra requirements. Turns out that these extra classes are used to help figure out how much rigor a student has taken. But their formula max’s out and there’s no need to try and take them all. Taking extra classes in math & science will offset not having 4 years of language or 5 years of English.
@curiositycat333 Agreed. I saw all the discussions on those crazy California schools’ policies. We don’t have any on our list due to the impacted engineering majors and potential $$$$ for OOS, although I would love to go visit him in many of the CA locations.
Anyone else pushing their kids to apply in geographic areas you would prefer to visit? Don’t get me wrong, the kid is the main attraction, but if you’re going to spend 2-4 days a couple of times a year (at least) visiting, it might as well be easy and fairly inexpensive to get to and offer something to entertain while you’re there.
Two cops are hanging around on a corner in Russia. Up ride two bicyclists from England, looking for directions.
“I don’t speak Russian,” one says to one of the cops, “Might you speak English?”
The cops shrug with incomprehension.
“Parlez vous francais,” the biker says, non-plussed.
More shrugs.
“Parla Italiano?”
Shrugs
“Habla Espanol?”
Same thing. The guy even tries Portuguese and Latin, no luck.
Finally the bikers ride off, frustrated.
One cop looks at the other and says, “Wow, that guy spoke 6 languages!”
The first one shrugs one last time. “Yeah well, what good did it do him?”
My DS18 only takes Latin - I sure hope he does not need to add another language to be competitive. oh goodness - if someone says he does - he’l; pursue an LAc & maybe business.
DS17 has 4 yrs of Chinese (got 1 yr credit for 2 yrs in middle school) - he does not currently plan to take a 5th yr. We are hoping that’s ok - eve for the reach, super reach schools. I could likely sign him up for some indep. study I suppose if helpful but prefer not.
Thinking more about this Mandarin Independent Study next year for D17. I seem to recall some talk about poor AP Language test results due to lots of native speakers taking the test. I would assume Mandarin would be one language where this could very well be the case. Maybe we should change her IS to some other coursework? I’m not sure she needs more FL. I don’t believe there’s an equivalent CLEP for Chinese either. Thoughts?
DD17 took Latin IV last year and wanted to take Latin V this year, but there were three classes that were only offered during two periods, so she chose to take AP Gov and AP Micro/Macro over Latin V. She was bummed, but it couldn’t be helped. So now she is taking a couple of Global Online Academy classes to take the place of Latin. She is taking Power: Redressing Inequity with Data and also Entrepreneurship in a Global Context. Will be curious to see how this goes for her as this will be her first foray into online classes.
@2muchquan What does she want? Are her IS options limited? My kids have loved their ISs, but they have unlimited options. can she create an IS built around researching topics in neuroscience?
@carachel2 thats a great solution for your D! I think S will be taking another CS class from the CC, since the only CS class at the HS thats any use to him has never been possible (one section of it, only in spring semesters). I should see if he can take a social studies class online as well, but I worry about what the school would force him to fill timeslots with.
Limited scheduling options at his HS, total lack of interest on his part, and early indications of admission requirements led us to believe this would be OK. I truly think he can get into all the schools on his list (all large state universities or STEM-only schools) with that. If the college he ends up attending requires more to graduate, he’ll take it there. Although I think he would prefer to study something other than Spanish (the only choice he had in HS).