在为大温地区各中学有志报考常春藤盟校和美国其他名校的同学们提供策划服务的过程中，我们常会遇到这样的问题：中学阶段修过外语（如法语、西班牙语或日语等）是否对报考名校有帮助？名校们对考生在中学课程中的外语科目有什么要求？各校对此的定义不大一样，例如，有的学校对学外语的时间有最低要求（minimum），但这个最低要求是否足够？初中阶段学过的外语课程也算数吗？如果某名校要求有4年外语学习经历，该语种的AP考试高分可否满足此要求？这一期，我们就来详细谈谈相关的话题。
作为加拿大中学的考生，英文被视为本国语言（Native Language）。若额外选修别的语言科目，则被称为外国语科目（Foreign Language）。考生如果中学期间学过外语，对于报考美国名校的确有很大帮助。事实上，常春藤盟校和美国其他名校对于外语科目的学习时间都有明确的规定，考生在报考选择学校时，应该事先做详细了解。
一般来说，常春藤盟校和美国其他名校都要求考生在中学阶段至少学过2年外语课程。例如，哈佛大学强烈要求（Urge）申请人有4年外语学习经历，斯坦福大学则期待3年以上。这里的外语课程和学习年数是指同一语种。各校期望看到考生对一种外语的精通（Proficiency）程度，而不是对几种语言的泛泛掌握。这些一定要在报考时弄明白，尤其是对自己所选专业的外语要求搞清楚，以免因为这个因素而被拒绝，自己还不知其中原因。在常春藤100教育为10年级（高一）以下同学做的规划书里，对此有着明确的解释。
如果一所名校建议申请人有2年以上的外语学习经历，实际上这是在明确表示2年以上外语学习经历会增强申请人的成功机会。考生的申请表中和中学成绩单上如果列明有2年以上外语学习的高分，对任何名校的录取都会有加分效应。其中的道理在于，在过去的20年和未来的岁月中，无论是就读名校还是毕业后的发展，都面临着日益增长且不可逆转的全球化趋势，因此名校的录取官员对于考生的外语能力十分看重。特别是外语科目的AP课程成绩能获得4分或5分，大部分名校都会将此看做是中学阶段外语学习上具优势的证据。如果考生在外语学习方面只能达到最低要求，但在其他方面有明显优势，仍然能够获得录取。也有些排名较低的学校对外语没有要求。
下面附上几所名校对外语方面要求的具体说明。
哈佛大学
“You should leave secondary school knowing at least one foreign language well enough to read it easily and pronounce it acceptably. Knowing a foreign language enables you to enter another culture and to understand its ideas and its values. A fundamental aspect of language-learning must be a grasp of vocabulary and syntax that allows you to read novels，plays，poems，and magazines，with as much of a native speaker’s comprehension as possible. We have found that students who have mastered a foreign language before they come to Harvard take more language courses here than those who have not. Indeed，these students often embark on the study of languages not commonly taught in American secondary schools. Many secondary school students take a smattering of several languages – for example，Latin for two years，French for a year，and Spanish for a year. When it is too late，they realize that they cannot read or speak any of these languages well. We urge you to try to study at least one foreign language and its literature for four years，Continuity of study is important，too，because a “year off” from a language can be a real setback. Once you are comfortable fluent，you will possess that language – and better appreciate the culture it has shaped – for the rest of your life.”
麻省理工
“Two years of a foreign language”
斯坦福大学
“Three or more years of the same foreign language. Your study of a foreign language ought to include the development of four basic skills: reading，writing，speaking，and listening comprehension.”
加州大学洛杉矶分校
“2 years required，3 years recommended – Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking，reading and understanding and include instruction in grammar，vocabulary，reading，and composition.”
威廉姆斯学院
“A challenging and well-balanced program of study ideally should include: a full four-year sequence in English and mathematics; study of one foreign language for three or，preferably，four years.”
从上述各校的说明中可以看出，第二外语在名校录取评估中的重要性是不言而喻的。
