How many years of foreign language do you need to go to Harvard?
Four years of a single foreign language.
Harvard recommends four years of foreign language study in high school, but schools do not have to actually teach the language because students do not need to demonstrate knowledge to Harvard in order to gain acceptance.
Most selective colleges and universities want to see at least two years of high school foreign language study. Highly selective schools such as the Ivies often want to see three or four years of a language.
However, most colleges require a minimum of two years of a foreign language to be considered for admission. Many colleges recommend at least three years of the same world language in high school for a student to be competitive in the admissions pool. Four years makes a student more attractive.
If possible, we expect students will complete the following courses before beginning study at Princeton: Four years of English (including continued practice in writing). Four years of mathematics (including calculus for students interested in engineering). Four years of one language.
The study of English for four years: close and extensive reading of the classics of the world's literature. Four years of a single foreign language. The study of history for at least two years, and preferably three years: American history, European history, and one additional advanced history course.
Did you know that in general, competitive colleges require your kids to have studied at least two years of foreign language classes. Colleges like Stanford University would like to see three or more years, and Ivy League schools like Harvard University urges students to take a minimum of four years!
Cornell is considered the "easiest" Ivy League to get into because it has the highest Ivy League acceptance rate. While it's easier, statistically speaking, to get into Cornell, it's still challenging. It's also important to remember that students apply directly to one of Cornell's eight undergraduate colleges.
What GPA should I have? Applicants should be between 3.9 and 4.0 to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by increasing your SAT or ACT score.
Harvard University has an acceptance rate of 3%. Half the applicants admitted to Harvard University who submitted test scores have an SAT score between 1490 and 1580 or an ACT score of 34 and 36.
Does Stanford require 3 years of foreign language?
All Stanford undergraduate students are required to complete one year of college-level study or the equivalent in a foreign language.
3 years of mathematics. 3 years of science (at least 2 lab sciences) 3 years of a foreign language.
The Admissions Committee finds that students are best prepared for NYU if they have studied the following subjects: 4 years of English/Writing. 3-4 years of mathematics. 3-4 years of foreign language.
You should also have a 4.14 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Yale, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application.
The Language Requirement
Students who have not studied a language before arriving at Yale, and those whose prior language study does not qualify them for placement into a second-year course, are required to study a single language through three terms to fulfill the distributional requirement.
Math – 4 years (including calculus for engineering majors) Lab Science – 2 years (including physics and chemistry for engineering majors) History – 2 years. Foreign Language – 4 years of one language.
What if I am homeschooled? Each applicant to Harvard College is considered with great care and homeschooled applicants are treated the same as all other applicants. There is no special process, but all relevant information about your educational and personal background is welcome.
When you apply for admission, you can choose whether or not our review of your application will include your standardized test scores (SAT and ACT). If your scores already are on file before you apply and you choose at the time of your application to proceed without scores, we will not consider those scores.
Four years of English with a strong writing component. Four years of mathematics. Four years of science, including biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course. Three years of history, including European and U.S. history.
However, I saw on Harvard's website that they recommended 4 years of a single foreign language, but I really wanted to take some more social studies electives instead of taking Honors Spanish 4 since that's what I'm interested in.
Will only taking 2 years of foreign language affect my college application?
In general, you should take foreign language courses if you plan to go to college. Many colleges require two years of a single foreign language as a condition of admission. Not taking foreign language classes in high school may limit where you can attend college.
If you are more focused on completing college early, dual enrollment credits may be your best option. If you are more interested in academics and getting into an Ivy League college, AP classes may be more beneficial for your goals.
Niche, a ranking and review site, recently published its list of the “2023 Hardest Colleges to Get Into.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Education on various colleges' acceptance rates and SAT/ACT scores, they found, unsurprisingly, Harvard University to be the most difficult college to get into.
Just one bad grade in an advanced level course is not going to ruin your chances at an Ivy League. However, consistently underperforming in advanced classes in your area-of-interest classes will penalize you in the applications process.
Earning a 3.7 GPA indicates consistent academic achievement and means you can apply to just about any school with a good chance of being accepted (except for the Ivy League schools, but that's because there are no circ*mstances of guaranteed admission at Ivies).
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