Discover the Foreign Language Credits Required by Ivy Leagues

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.

What are the Benefits of Studying a Language in High School?

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.

1. Learning a Language at a Younger Age Makes it Easier

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!

2. It Could Impact Your Academic and Professional Journey

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.

3. It’s Key to Connecting With Diverse People

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.

4. You Could Unlock a New Passion

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.

Understanding the U.S. High School Curriculum

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:

1. English
2. Math
3. Science
4. History and Social Science
5. Foreign Language
6. Arts

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.

What if Your High School Doesn’t Offer Foreign Language Classes?

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:

1. Take language classes through a community college in your area. You can nearly always find evening or weekend courses that fit in with your high school schedule, or you might have the option to take an early morning or late afternoon college class, during a high school class period.
2. Take online language courses. Unless you have a college in your area, you will have a plethora of options in online college language classes. You might even be able to get high school credit for an online college course. Ideally, you would want a course that has audio or video conferencing so you can develop the listening and conversational skills, which are vital in language learning. Be forewarned that many colleges will not transfer language credits for college earned online.
3. Self-study to take an AP language exam. There are many programs out there like Rosetta Stone, Rocket Languages, and Babbel that can guide you in speaking, reading, and writing skills. Use an AP study guide to help guide your self-study so you are focusing on material likely to be on the exam. Travel immersing you in a foreign language can be quite helpful as well. You will want to take the AP exam your junior year ideally, so you have the score in hand when you apply to colleges. Earning a 4 or 5 on the exam (and maybe even a 3) is a pretty convincing way to show you know the language and can help you earn language credits for college. Note: this option only works for really self-motivated students. Successfully earning language credits for college through such programs and exams can greatly enhance your college application.

Do Colleges Require Foreign Language Study from High School?

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.

The Foreign Language Credits Required at Top Colleges

Top 20 National Universities according to US News:

Which Foreign Language is the Best?

In general, colleges want to see foreign language proficiency, and they do not care which language an applicant studies. Most students, in fact, really have few choices. Many schools offer just two languages: French and Spanish. Regardless of the language, accumulating language credits for college can be beneficial.

On the other hand, it might help if your study of a foreign language meshes well with your career goals. For instance, students of business would do very well with either German or Chinese, and for one interested in teaching English or further into the area of public health in Africa, French would be indispensable. Tailoring your language credits for college to align with your career aspirations can give you an additional edge.

In 2018, when the Dean of Admissions at Harvard University testified in front of a federal court to discuss the institution’s admissions policies, he revealed that many applicants who had studied Greek and Latin and cultivated an interest in ancient classics were given a slight edge over many other applicants. This highlights the value of language credits for college, even in less commonly spoken languages.

Overall, though, study the language that you’re most interested in learning. Let your passions guide you. Where would you be most interested in traveling? Which language is most likely to intersect with your future goals? If you were to study abroad, where would you go? Pursuing language credits for college in a language that excites you will not only enhance your application but also enrich your personal and professional life.

Tips and Tricks for Language Learning

The process of learning a language can be both enriching and rewarding but sometimes very challenging. Here are tips that will help you get the most out of your language-learning journey:

1. Set Goals: Set clear language learning goals. Your goals should range from being able to converse on a trip to mastering the language for academic purposes—the point is to keep you motivated and focused.
2. Immerse: Surround yourself as much as possible in the language. Listen to movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts, as well as read books in the target language. This will make you improve in listening, and you will know the colloquial language.
3. Practice Speaking: Don’t be afraid to speak! Make mistakes and practice speaking with native speakers or language partners. It will help you gain confidence and speak fluently.
4. Be Consistent: Devise a regular study routine. You will find that a short practice daily gets better results than an occasional practice for a long period. Find a schedule that works best for you and stay on it.
5. Use Apps and Other Resources: There are apps like Duolingo, Memrise, or Anki that give gamified interactive lessons. Meaningful resources can also be found in websites, textbooks, and language exchange sites. Joining a language learning group or taking classes will also do wonders for you to belong to a community, keeping you supported, motivated, and responsible.
6. Learn Vocabulary in Context: Rather than rote learning of isolated words, it is more effective to learn vocabulary in context. Understand how words are used naturally from sentences and phrases. Use flashcards to enforce vocabulary and grammar. Digital flashcard apps can be very instrumental in spaced repetition learning.
7. Embrace Mistakes: It’s natural to make mistakes while learning. Consider errors as ways through which a learner improves or learns rather than failures.

FAQS

Here are some frequently asked questions regarding the foreign language credits required by top colleges:

How many years of language do you need for college?

It depends on the university you’re applying for! Consult the table above for a complete list. However, it’s advisable to take at least two years of foreign language learning to earn valuable language credits for college.

What languages are useful for college applications?

Though every foreign language skill is acceptable, it will be better for your college application if you learn Spanish, German, French, Latin, Arabic, or Mandarin. Earning language credits for college in these widely recognized languages can strengthen your application.

How fluent do I need to be in a foreign language?

This, of course, will vary from college to college, but most of them want you to at least be able to hold a basic conversation after two years of study.

What colleges require 4 years of language?

Based on the table above, Princeton is the only Ivy League that requires 4 years of language studies.

Now that we have broken down the foreign language requirements for college at Ivy Leagues in the country, the next step is for you to plan out a solid strategy to earn the necessary language credits for college and get into your chosen college or university.

AdmissionSight has over 10 years of industry experience and has helped hundreds of incoming college freshmen. If you want a sure-fire way of getting into the university of your dreams, book an appointment for an initial consultation today.