I am in 11th grade and for various(stupid) reasons, i am not enrolled in a 2 year foreign language, so i won't have a foreign language credit.  I have heard that you have to have a credit to get into a good four year college.  It this true?  I have alos heard that you will get in fine, you just have to take a one year course during college.  Is that true?

Thanks,
DEERSNIPER

I"m in 11th grade too. My school councilers tell us the same thing. Except they say we need two years worth of the same language.

I'm not sure what I want to do after I get out of High school, but I fighured that I should take two years of German to cover my butt incase I want to go to a traditional four year college.

So, I have this year of German I left, and next year (my senior year), I will have to take German II.

Numerous school won't accept you if you don't have the credits, though some will let you slide if you didn't take a foreign language because of a LD.  I'm attending community college now to get foreign language credit, would be a whole lot easier if they let me take ESL for credit [rolleyes]

Well, I'm not sure what you consider a "good" school, but I got into all three places I applied (only three, but I already knew where I was going) - Michigan State, U Mich (considered by many a public Ivy League) and Rose Hulman IT, a small, well-renowned private engineering school, with NO foreign language.
The counselors at the H.S. where I went pushed a foreign language, too, but IMO, they are worthless at that level.  Where are you planning on applying.

Don't worry about it.  If you have decent grades and a decent ACT or SAT you'll get in almost anywhere you want.

Don't try to get out of it- there are national standards re this, and no school worth your time and money is going to let you get out of the FL requirement. Otherwise, you might as well get a worthless degree from West Overshoe Junior College or Podunk U.

So- just do it anyway, i.e., take the foreign language classes, either in school or at a local college (yes, you can take college courses while in HS) in the school vacations or in the summer before you graduate from HS or go to college- if you put some energy into it, you might learn something, and might gain a skill you can use later.

Anybody who has their life planned out at an early age will find that life does not go acc. to plan, and it has a lot of changes awaiting him.

You and everybody else out there will need all the different skills they can find to get and keep well-paying, worthwhile jobs that don't suck. Learn Spanish, German, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, ANYTHING. It will prove valuable, if you apply yourself.

Especially if you go in the military![(:)] [-=(_)=-]

I got into, and graduated college without any foreign language.

No.  Many very good schools will consider you without a foreign language in HS.  Most good schools are going to have some sort of language requirement that must be taken at the university level anyway.

when i was applying in 2000, most universities either required or strongly recommended 2 years in the same lang., obviously if you break 1400 on the SAT or have stacked up your AP classes it won't be an issue......if you're nervous about it just take a summer class at local community college, should be able to take something like Spanish 101 in about 4 weeks during the summer, or you could look for a night class during the year

That's a load of horse shit.

Look at the colleges' requirements.  Some don't give a rip.  It'll "help" at others.  Certain ones require it.

I had to take two years of a foreign language in high school to graduate-- struggled to get C's.  In the end, the college I attended didn't give a rip.  I'd worry more about solid grades and activities than if you got two years of some language...

Mike

Bullshit.

So the consensus answer is a good solid MAYBE. Take it in the Summer at the local JC, it can't hurt you.

If you get to the interview stage because your grades and scores are good enough, if you have a good reason to not have it, (extra music and drama, extra art, extra science, etc) then it might not matter, if you don't have a good reason, some schools may pass you by.

Get on the horn and call the schools you are most interested in and ask them.  Remember advice on the internet is usually worth what you paid for it.

Wait until you go to grad school. Then we'll see who has flies hovering around him [:D]...

We need more information. Are you looking at state schools or somewhere like Hahvahd (that is how all them snooty pricks pronounce Harvard)?

If you want to go to a competitive school (as in private liberal arts college that can be very selective of applicants or larger competitive state schools like Michigan) then you need to take Spanish 101 followed by Spanish 201 at Podunklididdlydoo Community College this summer. It will be easy, you will probably be numero uno in the class and it will look good that you took it a college level instead of the high school class.

You can also communicate with our Southern brethren which unfortunately is becoming more and more important. Just make sure you learn all the good cuss words 'cause that is all that matters in a foreign language.

I went to a competitive school in TN that required 2 years of language prior to entry. My high school required it anyway so it didn't matter. I have 5 years of Spanish combined and all I can say is: Puta! Cuno! Chinga!

Yes, you can...

Just don't plan on going to a major state university or a liberal arts school...

I just graduated from a local private engineering school last year (Milwaukee School of Engineering. Small, but good enough to make the USNWR top ten for a few programs a few times), foreign language optional (and rarely available after you're there. Gen Ed was not a priority there.), with a degree in MIS... A good thing, I tried Spanish in HS and just couldn't get it (well, 1 year, but)...

OTOH, the local U Wisc campus started requiring foreign language the year after I started...

So just get an idea of where you want to go and what you want to do. If they require a language, learn one. Otherwise, don't bother unless you're looking at a career in govt service or international business...

not sure whether or not SUNY at Buffalo (UB) would make your good school list, but I went there with no college level foreign language. I went to a community college and got my AS, then transfered to UB and got my BS. I had taken Spanish in high school but the community college I went to did not require it. getting the AS first was great, got me out of all the stupid gen. ed. requirements at UB

Well, I went to ECU (East Carolina University).  I took one year of spanish in the 9th grade and decided in the 10th that it would be a sacrificial credit(I would sleep through it and get an F).  I did this a few years, because you didn't get a credit for study hall and I never knew which class I was going to designate Nap - Time until after schedules could be altered.  Be advised...I NEVER intended on going to college, being more of a skilled laborer type.  Anyway....
I got into one of ECU's  Political Science programs that didn't require any foreign languages, period.  Most universities want you to take foreign languages but this degree was for B.S.:Poli Sci Professional...the credits I would have taken on FL's went to cool lectures on "The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence" and, "Terrorism"...ect....

I'm not ditching on any FL's.  I think our government schools should just incorprate FL's earlier...when minds are more fertile. That way they can establish a solid multi-lingual base when the UN over runs us.

Me?  I'm going down swinging....Comprendo?


-HS

colleges are putting more and more emphasis on foreign languages now, if you 'struggled to C's' in a basic, introductory foreign lang. in HS, you're chances wouldn't be that great at getting into a higher university anyway

Hillbilly,

It's actually comprende? which means "Do you understand?" Comprendo means "Do I understand?" Spanish Spelling Nazi at your service.

Hell, maybe I did get something out of 5 years of Spanish.

I also think FL's should be taught earlier. Like when you are in 3rd grade right now and that little Mexican kid is beating the shit out of you at the bike rack after school, it would be nice to properly communicate to him what you think of his mother.

And Hillbilly, I too will be going down swinging right next to you. You just may hear me yelling some foreign cuss words at 'em while we are kicking ass but you will just have to stick to domestic ones.

Michigan does NOT require a language, as far as I know, I applied in '01 and got in without any sort of foreign language.  I actually believe there are a significant number of major public schools that dont have the language requirement.  
Again, as others stated here, they found their time spent in high-school languages classes to be a waste of time.  I would not bother, especialy if the place you are applying to does not require it.  Even if it recommends it, having a good gpa and test score will take you farther than having two years of some worthless language class.

NEEDING FOREIGN LANGUAGE TO GET INTO COLLEGE IS THE OLDEST FUCKING LIE KNOWN TO MAN!

A teacher even pulled me aside in highschool and told me what a crock of shit it was. He told me they only tell kids that because otherwise no one would take those bullshit classes!

But after you get into college you do have to take a bullshit class in a category that is learning about blacks and mexicans. Basically they make you read a bunch of books on how bad white people suck!

BINGBINGBING!! Wehavawinnah!![beer][party]

He who has the best education (and the connections either derived from it, through it or from before it), runs the show.

Your show.

Im sitting here scratching my head trying to figure out how you can graduate High School without a Furin Language Credit.  I graduated in 87 from a rural HS and we had to have at least one year to graduate.