Latin, Greek and college foreign language requirements?

[profmom]

Do universities accept Latin and Koine Greek for their foreign language entry requirements? Or, should we plan to fit in a couple of years of a modern language too?

[Gwen in VA]

Absolutely! Most colleges accept Latin with no problem. I have heard that there are a few that really want a modern language (someone has mentioned the Air Force Academy) but almost all schools accept Latin.

My son has done three years of Greek and one year of Latin. There aren't really any standardized tests for Greek (I guess there is the National Greek Exam, but that isn't like an SAT-II), so he doesn't even have any standardized test scores for foreign language. Despite the lack of standardized test scores demonstrating his profiency in the language, he has still gotten accepted at all the schools we have heard from.

Since there is no AP test in Greek, he will need to take a course or two at college to fulfill the college's graduation requirement, but the Greek is definitely being accepted as his high school foreign language.

[FloridaLisa]

Yes, and some colleges are sticklers for outside proof of the foreign language classes (through an SAT-II or accredited school class for example). Also, some colleges may not accept foreign languages taken before 9th grade. These weren't specifically part of your question, but they were news to me as I began to research college requirements. :)

HTH,
Lisa

[Mary in WA]

The Naval Academy at Annapolis accepted my sons' 3 years of Latin as their only foreign language.

[profmom]

Thanks, everyone!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Also, some colleges may not accept foreign languages taken before 9th grade.

Do you know if this was a matter of wanting high school level work rather than two years, say in middle school, that might not have had the same scope and sequence? Would AP credit for classes taken before high school have satisfied them?
Or did they really want the student taking the language while in high school?

I ask because our older kids started learning German as young children (we lived in Germany) and we are planning on just continuing. But we will run out of standard coursework well before hitting the high school years.

[Gwen in VA]

Wow -- that's a tough one.

I would bear in mind two things --

1) A college wants to know to what levela student has studied a language. That could take the form of "Latin 2" and then a course description, and/or a test -- like AP German. If you are stopping studying any foreign languages before 9th grade, I would absolutely make certain that I had either outside grades that provided "proof" of the level studied, or an AP exam score. Could your child take a German language class at a nearby college?

2) I would be surprised if a junior high student could get a 5 on an AP exam -- even in a language they are fluent in! And even if your child can easily get a 5 in AP German Language, is AP German Literature offered? (I know that it is offered in French). If there is a German Literature exam, that should keep your child busy for an additional yer or two!

3) Would you consider having your child learn another language in high school -- Latin or French or whatever? If I were a college admissions counselor, I would be impressed by the drive of a kid who is bilingual but who is learning yet another language! And I would be wary of a student who had NO foreign language in high school and no test scores?

[FloridaLisa]

Do you know if this was a matter of wanting high school level work rather than two years, say in middle school, that might not have had the same scope and sequence? Would AP credit for classes taken before high school have satisfied them?
Or did they really want the student taking the language while in high school?


I can only answer based on the few universities we've looked at. Gwen definitely has broader experience given her dc's college app experience! The colleges we've contacted accepted high-school level work done in late middle-school because it was an on-line public school class and therefore verifiable by an outside grade. I've never checked about AP credit earned in middle-school. As with most nitty-gritty details, it's always best to check with the universities your dc are looking at. :)

HTH,
Lisa

[Denise in NE]

It is always best to check the admissions requirements for a variety of colleges. I know that our state university does not accept any modern language credits outside an accredited classroom PERIOD. As of last summer, Latin didn't qualify for admission either.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

It is always best to check the admissions requirements for a variety of colleges. I know that our state university does not accept any modern language credits outside an accredited classroom PERIOD. As of last summer, Latin didn't qualify for admission either.

Interesting. That would seem to eliminate the possibility of a homeschooler having any modern language credits unless they were dual enrolled at a community college. Or is your state one that has accredits homeschools or umbrella schools.

I've looked through the sample AP exam for German and it looked well within our goals for their language ability over the next few years. Our thoughts were to try to complete the AP exam relatively early and then move along to some of the German certificates like the B1 exam offered by Goethe Institute.

We are definitely collectors of languages. So it probably isn't really a problem. But it may be worth our waiting to do those particular AP exams until sophmore year.

[Janet in WA]

Do universities accept Latin and Koine Greek for their foreign language entry requirements? Or, should we plan to fit in a couple of years of a modern language too?We ran into a few colleges that stated that they required a modern foreign language. Not many, though.

But you should know that college admissions "requirements" are rarely really "requirements". And we found that "requirements" change regularly. Few colleges had the same "requirements" when our sons applied to them as they did when we first researched their "requirements" in preparation for our sons' high school years.