Speaking a foreign language is becoming more and more important as our culture and economy continue to globalize.
To put it simply, you can’t get into a selective college or university without foreign language skills. Most schools require two or three years in a particular language. This is just the minimum requirement. Students who complete a full four years of foreign language has a better advantage and will look much stronger.
Studying one language in-depth and specializing in it is very important. Admissions counselors are not impressed with students who study three different languages but don’t advance in any of them. Some schools will accept a strong AP score as fulfillment of the language requirement, but you should always check the admissions guidelines, as policies can vary from school to school.