It’s no surprise that college admissions is competitive. The US News and World Report states that a measly 3-5% gets accepted every year into the top colleges all over the country. While few universities insist on proficiency in a second language, possessing such expertise does give you an edge when applying. It can be simply a mother tongue that your family speaks at home or advanced French classes you took in high school. In this blog, we will outline and highlight the benefits of studying foreign languages and how language credits for college will complement your Ivy League application.
Does your high school have a foreign language requirement? For most students, the answer is yes. It might be the bane of your existence, or it might be something you genuinely enjoy.
It is not everyone’s opportunity to learn a second language at preschool, but there are many benefits to learning a second language at a young age. Kids can pick up languages more easily, and they will have the chance to develop a more native-like accent. Evidence also shows that learning a second language keeps your brain sharp since you exercise more muscles. Acquiring language credits for college early on can provide a significant advantage in the competitive admissions process.
That is why we recommend learning a language as early as possible in your school. If it offers this in seventh grade, take it!
Foreign languages are directly applicable in a lot of careers, which include teaching, translation, international relations, law, tourism, and journalism, just to mention a few. Earning language credits for college can enhance your qualifications for these fields.
There are still other careers in which foreign language study will be useful, even if it’s not central to your role. Some nonprofits, for example, deal with a large number of ESL learners, and speaking another language fluently or conversationally will be extremely useful. If you want to be a doctor, knowing some basic Spanish or another language common to the US will help you communicate with patients better. Acquiring language credits for college in these languages can be particularly beneficial.
Language skills play a major role in almost all dimensions of the globalized world today. When the borders among nations and cultures start to dissolve, effective communication becomes the determining factor in practically all spheres. Language skills open these doors for opportunities between cultures in business, diplomacy, and other knowledge areas. Not only does language learning enrich a person’s personal and professional life, but it also contributes to the achievement of key universal goals: a world that is more interconnected, more tolerant, and prosperous. Language credits for college can help in this regard and open up numerous opportunities.
The trend now is that universities aim to create a diverse and inclusive learning environment through the attraction of students, faculty, and researchers from a variety of countries and backgrounds. This is another one of those trends reshaping the landscape of higher education and likely to keep on evolving with the ever-increasingly interdependent world. Having language skills, supported by language credits for college, can prove a big advantage in this environment for a successful college application.
As you consider your educational journey, remember that language credits for college can play an important role in both your personal development and professional life.
Do you hope to study — or even live — abroad? In this case, a foreign language will come in very handy. Even if you’re visiting another country only briefly, you’ll be able to enhance the experience and get much more from it if you’re able to communicate competently in the native language. Earning language credits for college can greatly support these aspirations.
Or perhaps you have friends, neighbors, or others in your community who are non-native speakers of English. Here’s another place where your foreign language skills will be useful. Having language credits for college can also show your commitment to cultural understanding and effective communication.
You never know, you might even end up enjoying the study of foreign languages. This is going to open a lot of doors—you can now watch foreign language movies and read books written originally in languages besides English. Additionally, accumulating language credits for college can lead to opportunities for joining groups for translating and traveling.
Before getting into how many foreign language credits are required for college, we’d like to familiarize you with the general curriculum that a typical student takes for high school classes. The curriculums of American high schools are divided into three levels with varying difficulties: Academic courses, AP courses, and Honors courses. There are six types of academic courses students will encounter:
Now, talking about rigor—academic/regular courses are the starting point; afterward, Advanced/Honors and then AP, or Advanced Placement. Courses labeled as Honors would be challenging, emphasize rigorous thinking and independence, and have content difficulty around the college level. To enhance your academic profile, accumulating language credits for college through these advanced courses can be beneficial.
Students who take honors courses learn the breadth and depth of topics covered within the class at a more accelerated pace. The AP courses let students take the final AP exam for credits, including language credits for college if applicable. AP Courses are taught according to a syllabus developed by the College Board and provided to American high schools. All the classes have the same level of difficulty as introductory courses offered at U.S. universities.
If you’re an achiever and would like to graduate from high school with three or four years of language classes but your high school offers only introductory-level classes, don’t fret! All is not lost. You can still earn language credits for college through various means, such as online courses or summer programs.
First and foremost, when colleges review your high school academic record, they would like to see that you have taken the most challenging courses available to you. They indeed know there’s quite a big difference between schools. If upper-level and AP language classes just aren’t an option at your school, colleges shouldn’t penalize you for not taking classes that don’t exist. Instead, they will appreciate your initiative in seeking alternative ways to obtain language credits for college.
That said, colleges want to enroll students who are well prepared for college, for these students are much more likely to persist and succeed if admitted. The reality is that some high schools do a much better job at college preparation than others. If you’re at a school that struggles to deliver anything beyond remedial education, your best bet may be to take matters into your own hands. Discuss with your school counselor about the availability in your area. Typical options include:
While there is some flexibility, most colleges would prefer a minimum of at least two years of foreign language study during high school, varying from program to major. For example, an international studies program and many humanities majors typically would prefer some foreign language study; for a STEM major, this would be less common unless there is some type of university-wide policy. Many times, the high schools themselves or the districts themselves have a requirement in foreign languages, which helps students earn language credits for college.
When a college recommends ‘two or more’ years of a language, they are signaling that language study beyond two years would strengthen your application. In truth, regardless of the college to which you apply, demonstrating proficiency in a second language will improve your chances of admission. College life and life after college are becoming globalized, and therefore strength in a second language is weighted heavily with admissions counselors, often in the form of language credits for college.
That said, students who have only the minimum do win admission if their applications show strengths in other areas. Some less competitive schools don’t even have a high school language requirement and assume some students will simply study a language once they get to college. However, earning language credits for college while still in high school can provide a significant advantage.
If you score a 4 or 5 on an AP language exam, most colleges will consider that evidence of adequate high school foreign language preparation, and you’re likely to get course credit in college. Check with the schools to which you apply to find out exactly what their Advanced Placement policies are. This can also impact how your language credits for college are applied.
Generally speaking, if you have the opportunity, it’s always good to take a foreign language throughout all four years of high school, especially if you’re planning to apply to Ivy Leagues. Doing so can ensure you accumulate sufficient language credits for college, enhancing your application and preparedness for globalized academic and professional environments.
Top 20 National Universities according to US News:
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Years of Foreign Language Recommended
