Foreign Language Problem

@2026,

Okay, I’ll bite.   I have not dealt with this issue, but I have verified what you’re saying on the Tufts admissions site.  It appears two years are required and 3 years are recommended.  So, I do think your facts are correct.  My son was recruited and offered by Tufts many years ago.   As with most very competitive HA schools, you probably want to be at the recommended levels at the least.   Remember, you are competing against other very academically capable folks.  Schools at this level are looking for that “admissions hook” that separates the recruit from others.  If you were my son, I would want you to get your 3 years of a foreign language done so it didn’t take away from your overall chances as an HA recruited athlete.  HA baseball coaches have a little wiggle room with admissions, however you really want to make your candidacy a slam dunk for those coaches.  In this case, the squeeky wheel doesn't always get the oil....it gets replaced.

What the baseball coach and admissions are looking for in initial recruiting are not the same.   If Tufts continues to recruit you, they will eventually get to the question of foreign language requirements for admission.  It may not be right now, but they will get to it.  So, I think you need to come up with a strategy to get over this hurdle whether that is deferring Spanish 3 to next year and/or getting a tutor or even summer school where you can focus on one class.  Possibly your guidance councelor has some ideas as well to accomplish this.   Some of this will depend on how much they want you on the baseball field and if the coach is willing to go to bat for you with the minimum requirement.  If you are an impact player, he may push for you.  If you are not an impact player then he may not push as hard with admissions.  I do think this is something you are going to encounter again with the most competitive HA college admissions.   This isn’t going to go away, so you might as well take it head on if you aspire to these schools.  There will be other challenges in college once you get there, but you have to get there first.

Best of luck!   As always, JMO.

First, congrats on taking the SAT early and scoring well! That is no small feat. It gets advised to do so often 'round here, but most recruits aren't ready to take the SAT early junior year much less before their PSAT, so kudos to you! Because as a '26 RHP interested in HAD3 time is still very much on your side, you have options and leverage now. If you were my son I'd advise you to continue to retake the SAT now while the iron is hot so to speak. Don't put it off. You de facto already have a requisite amount of skill and aptitude that may diminish/ extinguish with time away from the test if you put it off. At the 1430 level, scoring higher will likely involve working harder and/or smarter for frustratingly LESS yield/ outcome/ score improvement. With it being FALL (baseball OFF SEASON), I'd continue to take practice exams and look up on reddit/ YouTube ways to get at least a couple/ few of those last harder/ hardest questions right, and suring up careless mistakes (if there even were any) on "easier" questions. You are operating from a position of strength, since moving forward you can cherry pick & "super score" your ultimate application SAT score. With some obtainable improvement, you can be an (academic) candidate for ALL of the HAD3 schools! You're already an academic candidate for many of them right NOW.

So to get back to the original question I'd honestly WAIT to take Spanish 3 your senior year. Why make your most stressful junior year even MORE stressful? In the meantime, like Fenway suggests find ways to brush up on Spanish on your own prior (dunno if Rosetta Stone is still a thing or other similar self learn/study things). Yes, this will make your senior year more stressful, but if heaven forbid you got a "B" (sarcasm intended?) it wouldnt be as much under the admissions committee microscope or hurtful to the GPA if you did it as a junior.

I'd focus your energies now on getting that standardized test Ace'd to the max as soon as possible to put it in the rearview mirror. You also have the incentive of doing well on the PSAT for more national merit academic accolades which I imagine all HA schools will appreciate.

Finally, I'd be remiss not to echo Fenway and re-emphasize the obvious of continuing to improve on the baseball side and be the best baseball player you can be. That still ultimately may play the biggest role in success at your already established academic level. Plenty of time to improve there too, esp as a pitcher.

Good luck!

PS...@GratefulNTXlurker is exactly right to congratulate you for a very good SAT score prior to your junior year.  Well done, and a quick way to separate yourself from other HA academic candidates as well as recruited athletes.  Your SAT score is your "hook" and that has the potential to open lots of doors if you have all of your bases covered.  I neglected to mention that in my post above, and I often strongly suggest it to Ivy and D3 HA recruits...so, well done there!   

Still you need to figure out the best approach to getting through Spanish 3.  You're a smart young man.   My youngest son's high school coach got practice jerseys that had #FigureItOut on the back.  His point was you never stop learning.   Embrace the Spanish 3 challenge!   

Good luck!

PS...I might still be in Mexico if my oldest son didn't know Spanish.  We almost missed our ship in Cozumel on Christmas Day.  Thankfully, he was able to communicate in Spanish and get my family a taxi to the ship with 3 minutes to spare.   

Congrats on your score! You seem to be in a great place right now by doing the research and having a good score. One thing I'd recommend, focus on improving one section of the SAT at a time. You already have a great score, so shoot for the 800 on one section and then the other. If you have a 750 or higher math, chances are you can easily figure out where you missed and get an easy 50 points.

I would plan to take the additional language class. Get a tutor or do an online class for free to catch up. Spanish is an easy language to learn, so it shouldn't be too difficult. If you haven't already, I'd look through your top 10-20 schools and see if there is anything else you're missing. DO NOT rely solely on your HS academic advisor. They are useful in some areas, but I've seen a number of kids (my son included) get burned or almost burned by an advisor that was not up-to-date on a particular college requirement.

Agree with everyone else.  HA schools do pre-reads for athletes in the summer before senior year.  They usually ask for test scores, a transcript, and a list of courses you plan to take senior year.  They then may ask you to send a mid-fall-semester transcript (with grades) along with your actual application.

So if you can prepare this year and take Spanish 3 senior year, you'll be demonstrating that you will meet their requirement/recommendation.

One thought: Look into taking a college-level Spanish class at your local community college this summer.  Often, you can take language classes online, synchronously or asynchronously.  If you earn College Spanish credit, you will not only become prepared for Spanish 3 in high school, but you might also earn a higher initial language placement.   Many states allow 16-year-old  and older high school students to take community college classes for free or at a reduced rate. You will never "get out" of a language requirement. Most BA degrees have one, which is why Tufts requires high school preparation. Also, if you are ever interested in studying abroad (which is tough but not impossible with baseball), language preparation is helpful.

I would consider doing 2 years of another language. I was always told if you don't take 3 of one language, then 2 and 2 is just as good.

My son was in your spot & decided not to take Spanish 3 in HS, as it was only "recommended" at the schools he was interested in. He's now taking Spanish 3 in his first semester of college & says it's the probably the hardest class he has right now, he wishes he'd just swallowed that pill in HS.

Take the class in summer school. Summer school courses are often easier. There are people in the class retaking due to failing. It’s a slower pace. Plus, your focus is only one class.

I think my fate is sealed at least for this year. It's just that I fear getting a horrible grade would really damage my GPA . I'm leaning to taking  advice of @fenwaysouth deferring it to next year when I can prepare for the class over the summer. For colleges does it matter whether there was a gap in foreign language between sophomore and senior year? Do senior year grades get sent if I apply early decision?

I'm glad you asked this - yes, some schools will ask for a mid-semester transcript (with grades) in the fall, before they make the ED decision.

Even so, demonstrating that you are taking the class, and working to take it seriously, will matter.  I doubt that a gap will be noticed.  If you are working with your high school counselor, that person will be writing a letter of recommendation, and will hopefully note your positive attitude and rigorous course load.

Just out of curiosity, what are you planning on studying?  Some STEM majors (B.S. degrees) either don't have a foreign language requirement or have a more limited requirement because students need to take many other math and science classes to progress quickly. That's often why there's a different "school of engineering" -- because the gen. ed. requirements differ from the "school of arts and sciences."  One caveat: if you choose a D3 school that is a well-known Liberal Arts College, you will probably still need strong language preparation.   

Yes. You must submit a senior transcript for any school you apply to early. I think picking up Spanish in senior year is an option, but the question is this: Will you really be better prepared then? Tufts seems particularly rigorous about awarding language credits:

https://admissions.tufts.edu/d...triculation-credits/

Remember that baseball players are very busy in the summer after junior year. You might also want to look into a January-term community college course for review or pick up a late-start (October) language class at your local CC.  Will your mind really be focused on Spanish in June and July, especially if you are playing travel ball?

Languages also were kind of a joke at our high school. My son planned to drop French his senior year, but his college advisor pointed out that if he didn't have four years of a foreign language in HS he would have to take a year or two in college and it would be MUCH HARDER.

He talked the French teacher into letting him into the class. I'd find a way to get it done.

I will say he now regrets choosing French over Spanish. He doesn't encounter many catchers who speak French, but has had lots of teammates for whom Spanish is their first language.

Just a question, I speak another language in my house. Could that be used to get out of foreign language requirement in College? I would need to work on my reading and writing skills for that language though.

I don't think so --- unless you can prove that you are literate in that language by excelling on the SAT subject test, the AP test, or the CLEP. Remember, generally, in an HA D3 college, all first-year students will sit a placement exam for a foreign language during the first week of school.  Your skills will become evident pretty quickly. But don't take my word or anyone's word for it on the internet; check with your guidance counselor!

If you are a strong student who knows some Spanish and at least one other, third, language, why stress over a language requirement?  You are good at this! Be confident.

The coach that recruited keewartson for college (HAD1) played and coached at Tufts.  He touched base more than once with son during high school about the language requirement, and getting it done in HS.

Son's college had a requirement of 4 years of one language in HS.  If you didn't have 4 years in HS, you had to meet the requirement in college.   If you think a taking a language class is hard in high school, it will just be harder in college, along with your other classes and baseball.   

Friend's son went to a large HAD1 University but not for baseball.  Thought he met the language requirement by taking 3 years of one language and 2 of another.  He got in, but had to take an immersive college course during the summer.  Not what the son (using his summer in the classroom) nor the parents ($) had planned for.

Each school is different.  Good luck! 

2026, I'm sending you a PM shortly.  

I had a friend in college from Brazil. He was on a soccer scholarship. He majored in Spanish. Talk about beating the system!

Except that in Brazil, they speak Portuguese

Once you are in college, there are various ways to fulfil language requirements.  At my baseball son's school, they required passing the third semester at that college (you didn't have to take all 3 semesters there), or AP, or SAT-II, or by testing out via a proficiency exam (presumably native speakers could do this).  I don't think they say anything about requirements for admissions.  My older son took a language they didn't offer any more, they found him a tutor and he did an online class at another school.  You need to look at each school's website (or contact their admissions office) to see what they will accept.

A college language class might or might not be harder than in high school - depending on what other classes you are taking, it might be a break from other kinds of work.

2026, it's good to be thinking about this for applications, and I guess it could be useful to explain what you plan to do in college, if anyone asks.  There are plenty of great schools out there - if you don't like a school's requirements, pick a different school!