High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Michelle Nelson4 said:That’s certainly one way to look at it.
From what I’ve seen, being proficient in English isn't just some extra perk—for a lot of people, it’s actually plenty to get by. Even our public school system seems to agree; you don't even see a second foreign language required in all the high schools, let alone as a mandatory requirement for getting into a state university.

On the flip side, though, not knowing English definitely creates more hurdles when it comes to your career, job opportunities, or even just continuing your education...

The debate about choosing a second language in high school always pops up.
Let me clarify:
Every high school requires two foreign languages. Period.
The only exceptions are the specialized tracks, like the ones focused heavily on math (with 6 or 7 hours a week in the final two years) or the advanced computer science and math programs. Only Conor McGregor and Others follow those specific tracks; everyone else follows the standard curriculum with two languages.
I think Toledo might only require one language because they offer intensive chemistry and biology tracks, plus some other subjects you won't find at other schools, though I'd have to double-check.

English is almost always the first foreign language (honestly, I’d love for someone to point out a high school where any other language is the primary one, since that's what carries the most credit hours). Even kids who studied English as their second language in middle school end up picking it as their first choice in high school (maybe there are a couple of outliers like Lincoln High or Westside that offer French or German lectures).

The second language depends entirely on what the school offers, and whether it’s introductory or advanced level really just comes down to what students select during enrollment—basically, which type of student applies and gets accepted.
As far as I know, you still can't force someone to sign up for an advanced language course, even if they have proficiency listed on their transcript.

@frupy, is a school allowed to form an advanced language class if only 8 or 17 candidates meet the requirements, while distributing the rest of the students into other classes?

Not quite.
Unlike you, I actually took a bit more time to look into this properly this year, mostly because my kid was asking me about it.
Public high schools regularly offer programs that don't include a second foreign language, so it’s definitely NOT a requirement in "all" high schools.☕

Michelle Nelson4 said:Not quite.
Unlike you, I actually took a bit more time to look into this properly this year, mostly because my kid was asking me about it.
Public high schools regularly offer programs that don't include a second foreign language, so it’s definitely NOT a requirement in "all" high schools.☕

If you take another look at what I wrote:

It’s basically just a condensed version with only one language, featuring an advanced math track with 6 or 7 hours a week during the final two years, along with extra computer science and math. Only MIT and Others offer programs that include two foreign languages.

It’s not just MIT and Others, either—other magnet high schools count too. I can't say they all offer much variety, but some definitely do. It really just comes down to what the specific school puts on the table; like, maybe MIT offers elective computer science while other magnet schools just don't.

Susan James said:The debate about choosing a second language in high school always pops up.
Let me clarify:
Every high school requires two foreign languages. Period.
The only exceptions are the specialized tracks, like the ones focused heavily on math (with 6 or 7 hours a week in the final two years) or the advanced computer science and math programs. Only Conor McGregor and Others follow those specific tracks; everyone else follows the standard curriculum with two languages.
I think Toledo might only require one language because they offer intensive chemistry and biology tracks, plus some other subjects you won't find at other schools, though I'd have to double-check.

English is almost always the first foreign language (honestly, I’d love for someone to point out a high school where any other language is the primary one, since that's what carries the most credit hours). Even kids who studied English as their second language in middle school end up picking it as their first choice in high school (maybe there are a couple of outliers like Lincoln High or Westside that offer French or German lectures).

The second language depends entirely on what the school offers, and whether it’s introductory or advanced level really just comes down to what students select during enrollment—basically, which type of student applies and gets accepted.
As far as I know, you still can't force someone to sign up for an advanced language course, even if they have proficiency listed on their transcript.

@frupy, is a school allowed to form an advanced language class if only 8 or 17 candidates meet the requirements, while distributing the rest of the students into other classes?

I'm clearly not urbantinker8, but I highly doubt a high school would open an entire specialized track for just eight kids. What usually happens—and I've seen this happen in real life—is they split the group. Some kids go to the advanced level, others stay in the standard one. It’s basically like how schools handle electives like civics versus religious studies.

I also heard about a situation in a Chicago high school a few years back where they just moved all the kids who signed up for advanced German into the beginner classes without even asking...

So yeah, anything can happen.

I read through that. You mentioned "only" Nike and Others, but honestly, schools like Lincoln High have a similar program, along with X and XIII—basically all the prep schools in the area except for I., which only has one grade anyway. I didn't double-check the preposition.

It’s actually quite easy to find the exact data if you just take a few clicks...

Here’s the full list of programs:

Stuyvesant High School

Bronx Science

Brooklyn Tech

Nike

Lawrence Tech

Lucien Vranjanin

(I noticed Lucien Vranjanin also offers a B track, while Nike has options for B or C)

The others all focus on two languages.

edit:

The link I posted for Bronx Science isn't working correctly; it should be this one instead. I accidentally clicked on the school's general curriculum page when I meant to go to the specific admissions and programs section.
It looks like the school gives plenty of choices for students who aren't interested in picking up a second language.

Jesus Christ, can you seriously not see what it says about the curriculum? Are we being serious right now?

Here is the quote for X:
Extended Math and Computer Science program
OR a second foreign language: German (beginner or advanced) or Italian (beginner)

Do you notice the conjunction "or"?

XIII
Hours allocated for the Category II foreign language for grades 1-4: - - - -
Hours allocated for elective subjects (Math or Computer Science): 2 2 2 2

To put it plainly: Every STEM high school in New York City EXCEPT for the first one (which only has one grade total) offers programs WITHOUT a second foreign language.
Edit: Okay, and I didn't check the third one because I always forget about it.
Edit2 - the prep material also shows a choice between a second foreign language or environmental science.

But there you have it—it’s a far cry from saying "all" schools have it "mandatory," because they simply don't all have it.

Susan James said:The debate about choosing a second language in high school always pops up.
Let me clarify:
Every high school requires two foreign languages. Period.
The only exceptions are the specialized tracks, like the ones focused heavily on math (with 6 or 7 hours a week in the final two years) or the advanced computer science and math programs. Only Conor McGregor and Others follow those specific tracks; everyone else follows the standard curriculum with two languages.
I think Toledo might only require one language because they offer intensive chemistry and biology tracks, plus some other subjects you won't find at other schools, though I'd have to double-check.

English is almost always the first foreign language (honestly, I’d love for someone to point out a high school where any other language is the primary one, since that's what carries the most credit hours). Even kids who studied English as their second language in middle school end up picking it as their first choice in high school (maybe there are a couple of outliers like Lincoln High or Westside that offer French or German lectures).

The second language depends entirely on what the school offers, and whether it’s introductory or advanced level really just comes down to what students select during enrollment—basically, which type of student applies and gets accepted.
As far as I know, you still can't force someone to sign up for an advanced language course, even if they have proficiency listed on their transcript.

@frupy, is a school allowed to form an advanced language class if only 8 or 17 candidates meet the requirements, while distributing the rest of the students into other classes?

At a typical large American high school, besides English, the main focus might be German or French, and they often run bilingual programs where instruction happens in English, German, or French during specific grades.
In another school, it might be German or French too, with bilingual tracks for those two; I’m not entirely certain, though, but I suspect English isn't necessarily the first choice for everyone there. That used to be the case, at least, but I don't know if English has since pushed its way to the front.

As for your other question: yeah, that's doable. They can just split the group into beginner and advanced tracks, where at the exact same period, one group handles the basics while the other moves on to the advanced stuff. It seems pretty straightforward and actually quite efficient.👍

In basically all the high schools around here—around Indianapolis and the surrounding areas—it’s pretty standard for kids to pick German as their first foreign language. If there aren't quite enough students to fill an entire class, they just split everyone up into different language groups, kind of like how urbantinker8 described it.

Kenneth Garcia9 said:I'm clearly not urbantinker8, but I highly doubt a high school would open an entire specialized track for just eight kids. What usually happens—and I've seen this happen in real life—is they split the group. Some kids go to the advanced level, others stay in the standard one. It’s basically like how schools handle electives like civics versus religious studies.

I also heard about a situation in a Chicago high school a few years back where they just moved all the kids who signed up for advanced German into the beginner classes without even asking...

So yeah, anything can happen.

Exactly. That’s definitely an option, and it happens all the time.

urbantinker8 said:At a typical large American high school, besides English, the main focus might be German or French, and they often run bilingual programs where instruction happens in English, German, or French during specific grades.
In another school, it might be German or French too, with bilingual tracks for those two; I’m not entirely certain, though, but I suspect English isn't necessarily the first choice for everyone there. That used to be the case, at least, but I don't know if English has since pushed its way to the front.

As for your other question: yeah, that's doable. They can just split the group into beginner and advanced tracks, where at the exact same period, one group handles the basics while the other moves on to the advanced stuff. It seems pretty straightforward and actually quite efficient.👍

Frustrated by how many clicks it takes to find actual information, I decided to dive in and see which specific languages are supported under what they call "Program A, B, and C." Here’s what I managed to dig up:
5. Program A features a dual-language track, where students pursue advanced studies in both English and German simultaneously.
I’m looking into applying to the MIT program.
navodi: We’re excited to announce that we are now offering German as a second foreign language! This is a full continuing program designed to take you from the basics all the way to fluency.

I honestly think it’s a fantastic idea to make those language tracks specialized. It would be even better if they offered extra credit points during the admissions process—regardless of where the students originally learned the language, as long as they're choosing it as their major.

The GPP at 18 says this:

The kids in class 1-A are split up a bit; some are in the French bilingual program while others are following the German track.
The curriculum is set up so that while everyone is learning a second language, all our students are focusing on English. However, a specific group from class 1-B is currently working through their studies.
In our district, we’ve structured things so that English serves as the primary foreign language. For those students who start with German as their second foreign language, they actually join a separate group within the class to complete their studies.
In my experience, there's a bit of a split in how we approach languages. For some classes, German takes center stage as the primary foreign language, with English following as the second. However, in our 1.c group, the students actually dive into English right away as their very first foreign language.
When you look at how we study languages, it’s interesting to see how they get categorized. For instance, when picking up a second foreign language, things usually split into two paths: the Italian track and the French track. It's a bit like how you might approach learning music—some people start with piano basics while others dive straight into theory. In my experience, having those distinct starting points really helps set the foundation.
In my homeroom class, everyone is taking English as their primary foreign language, while Spanish serves as the second elective.
Starting out.

The 16th grade is looking pretty good! They’ve got English integrated into all the different departments now, and they're offering a ton of language options. They have electives available in German, French, and Italian, plus a bilingual program focused on English. It's such a great setup.

The way they write is honestly a bit chaotic. They’re completely bilingual, mixing English, German, and French all at once, and they offer advanced courses in every single one of those languages using all sorts of different combinations.

So, I guess all sorts of combinations are possible here, which is honestly pretty great.👍
It would be just ideal if students and their parents actually realized how vital foreign languages are across every single field, and just for life in general, you know? It would be nice to see fewer people spending eight years grinding away at a language only to end up just faking their grades—like they've somehow outsmarted the system by picking the exact same beginner language everyone else is taking.🤦🤦
They haven't outsmarted anyone; they're really just making fools of themselves.
I mean, imagine the absolute chaos if you could just choose to focus on math from the very beginning of high school. You wouldn't even make it past basic fractions before graduation.🙂
I truly can't wrap my head around that kind of backward way of thinking. I really can't.🤷

plus those days when you could just scrape by in Germany using nothing but Spanish or English are long gone. Either you pick up German or you can kiss it goodbye

Honestly, any language besides English would be fine at this point.
I mean, English is basically a given these days; most kids around here end up being more fluent in English than their own native tongue anyway.
But look... I suppose you should actually learn another language properly, just because it makes sense. You know, for the sake of actual knowledge, for LIFE 😬, not just to chase some damn grade on a report card.

Larry Walker24 said:plus those days when you could just scrape by in Germany using nothing but Spanish or English are long gone. Either you pick up German or you can kiss it goodbye

🤣

If you master C# or Go—or anything else from that specific programming family—you won't even need to worry about the local language to land a high-paying gig over there.😁

Larry Walker24 said:plus those days when you could just scrape by in Germany using nothing but Spanish or English are long gone. Either you pick up German or you can kiss it goodbye

Since public education covers language training, including German, professionals can move over there without any major stress.🙏 🙏 🙏

It might actually be a good idea to make sure we get some solid German basics during our time in high school.

Michelle Nelson4 said:🤣

If you master C# or Go—or anything else from that specific programming family—you won't even need to worry about the local language to land a high-paying gig over there.😁

Exactly. I’ve worked on projects over in Germany where nobody even uttered a word of German; everything was strictly English. In the tech sector and at big multinationals, if you know English plus a couple of coding languages, you're pretty much set. 😁

To be clear, I think learning languages is great. I’m really grateful my parents were able to afford lessons for me.

At the same time, I know plenty of people who studied German all through elementary and high school, went on to college, and ended up with barely an A2 conversational level by graduation. If you don't use a language, you lose it. Honestly, I'll admit it myself: I studied Spanish for four years because I love it, but I can probably only manage the basics. I have a little trick for it, though. My Italian is fluent, so when I can't remember a Spanish word, I just swap in an Italian one, and people just assume I'm from Argentina😁

What always bothered me about the school system here was the lack of actual conversation practice. I hope they've fixed that by now.

Michelle Nelson4 said:🤣

If you master C# or Go—or anything else from that specific programming family—you won't even need to worry about the local language to land a high-paying gig over there.😁

I suppose if programming is the only career that actually matters in this world, then sure—why wouldn't a programmer working abroad need to know C# or Go on a daily basis? I guess we should just assume that plumbers, waiters, retail clerks, hairstylists, nurses, doctors, teachers, journalists, and lawyers also absolutely require mastery of C# or Go to do their jobs... just keep that list going.
It’s funny how everyone suddenly needs to be a coder just to function.
I mean, a foreign language? Good grief. 🙂

You're talking nonsense, and I think you realize that.☕

Haha, I’m just talking nonsense now because I pointed out the simple fact that you can absolutely build a career in Germany without knowing a word of German. So, basically, the exact opposite of what was claimed.

It seems we have a brand new definition of "talking nonsense" courtesy of Elvis Presley, where simply stating a truth that someone happens to dislike counts as "nonsense." 🤣

Good grief, how did you all pass basic logic if you can't draw a single straightforward conclusion? This one falls right into the category of "If it doesn't apply to one specific case, then it must not apply to everyone." 😉