re Language Study Requirements Waived for Bi-Lingual Student?

Archive Ask The Dean Archive
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<p>My oldest son, who is a junior in HS, grew up bilingual (in the US). He is fluent in both languages. Do colleges disregard this fact, when they are looking for the 2-4 years of the same foreign language in HS on the college application? Or do they acknowledge his foreign language skill as a […]</p>

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<p>Does this also mean that they would discount a student’s HS study of a foreign language he also speaks in the home, since it isn’t an “unfamiliar” language?</p>

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<p>If you read the SAT II requirements for Harvard, the verbage indicates that if a language is your mother tongue, they would rather you take another subject to fulfill the 2 subject requirement. So there is definitely a bias for someone using a language test which they have learnt from childhood.</p>

<p>“Students should not submit two Subject Tests in mathematics to meet this requirement. Candidates whose first language is not English should ordinarily not use a Subject Test in their first language to meet the two Subject Tests requirement.”</p>

<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Requirements](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/application_process/requirements.html#scores]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/application_process/requirements.html#scores)</p>

<p>On a side note, there are middle schools in Houston allowing native spanish speakers to complete AP spanish test in 7th or 8th grade without going through the multiple levels of classes.</p>

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<p>Happykid took two years of Latin in high school for the state graduation requirements, and the CLEP exam for a quick, cheap 12 semester hours in her second home language.</p>