How Many Years of Foreign Language do You Need to Get Into College?

 

How much foreign language do you need to take in high school to be selected by a good college? The foreign language requirement is different in each college.  Every college will list its minimum requirements.  Keep in mind that other students from other high schools will be applying with more than the minimum!  So the more the more years of foreign language you take in high school the better. And it is better to be really good at one language than knowing very little about many languages.

In general most colleges require two years of a foreign language in high school.  Top colleges like Standford require three years and Harvard is interested in four years of foriegn language.  Colleges that write "two or more years" are giving you a hint that you do more than two be competitive.  Besides of the importance of knowing a foreign language to get into college, knowing another language than English will help you in the future where more and more jobs require you to work with people from other parts of the world.   

You should be able to read and speak another language well.  It is important that you do not take time off from a language.  You should take foreign language in your senior year so you don't lose your ability to speak and read the language.  A good high school will offer the language for four years and have you learn the foreign language by also reading literature in that language. 

You can still get into many colleges if all you have is the minimum amount of foregin language if you have other strengths.  Some less competitive colleges don't even require a foreign language and assume you will take a language in college.  

Below is a chart ahows the foreign language requires of several colleges:

Foreign Language Requirements for College Admissions

College	Language Requirement
Carleton	2 or more years
Georgia Tech	2 years
Harvard	4 years recommended
MIT	2 years
Stanford	3 or more years
UCLA	2 years required; 3 recommended
Univ. of Illinois	2 years
Univ. of Michigan	2 years required; 4 recommended
Williams	3 years required; 4 recommended