Multilinguism in the College Admissions Process
Crystal Gonzales is absolutely right: multilingualism represents one of America's most undervalued educational assets. Her December 2, 2025, opinion piece in The 74 delivers a crucial message at a pivotal moment when English-first policies are devaluing multilingualism in our schools. As the founder of the English Learners Success Forum and a former bilingual teacher, Gonzales brings both research expertise and classroom experience to an argument that deserves widespread support—particularly when considering how multilingualism directly impacts students' college admission prospects and future success. The college admissions advantages for multilingual students are substantial and well-documented. Research shows that bilingual students perform better in school and tend to be effective problem solvers, with data demonstrating a positive correlation between studying a foreign language and SAT scores. Moreover, Spanish-speaking bilingual and biliterate children of immigrants attend four-year colleges at higher rates than those who speak only one language. These outcomes directly contradict the deficit narrative that has dominated English learner education for decades.
College admissions officers increasingly recognize multilingualism as a marker of desirable qualities. Multilingual students demonstrate better problem-solving skills, greater creativity, and improved multitasking abilities—cognitive advantages that translate into better academic performance. Universities seeking intellectually curious, culturally competent students who can thrive in diverse environments find these attributes particularly compelling. Elite institutions, especially, value multilingualism; programs like Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service and Tufts' Fletcher School highly encourage it, viewing language skills as essential for students preparing for careers in global affairs, diplomacy, and international business.
The strategic importance of multilingualism extends across academic disciplines. Business schools like Wharton and NYU's Stern School value candidates who bring language skills, recognizing that today's global economy demands leaders capable of navigating multicultural markets. Healthcare programs desperately need Spanish-speaking professionals, and schools like the University of Miami and UCLA, which serve large Spanish-speaking populations, strongly value bilingual students in health sciences programs. Far from being a niche advantage, multilingualism enhances applications across virtually every field. Multilingual learners often surpass their monolingual peers in mathematics, literacy, and graduation rates. Multilingual students are more likely to pursue higher education and have access to scholarships and programs that value linguistic diversity. These advantages compound over time, positioning multilingual students for sustained academic success.
The timing of Gonzales's argument is critical. As recent federal policies shift toward English-only approaches, they threaten to undo decades of progress and deny millions of students the competitive advantages multilingualism offers in college admissions. These regressive policies ignore not only cognitive research but also the pragmatic realities of college selection. Students with cultural competency and adaptability—skills gained through multilingual education—possess qualities highly valued in college admissions and the workforce. From an admissions perspective alone, suppressing multilingualism represents educational malpractice. Students who might otherwise distinguish themselves in competitive applicant pools lose a significant advantage. Universities seeking to build diverse, globally engaged student bodies lose access to candidates with precisely the skills they value. The entire educational ecosystem suffers when English-only policies prevail over evidence-based multilingual education.
Gonzales deserves credit for framing this issue not just as educational equity but as a strategic opportunity. Her vision of schools embracing multilingualism through thoughtfully designed curricula and high expectations directly supports students' college aspirations. Students with multilingual skills develop the cognitive flexibility, cultural awareness, and academic excellence that distinguish outstanding college applicants. More and more students I work with have no or minimal second-language skills and, though they achieve in other areas of their academic resume, are overlooked by admissions committees because of this glaring shortcoming in their education. We need to support our students in developing language skills that will enable them to pursue both college admissions and future careers in our global market.
