Will Limited Foreign Language Credits Hurt Admission Odds?

Question: My student (a 9th grader) is grappling with how many years of foreign language to take in high school. Since it is an elective, it limits her choices to take other things, like continuing in orchestra or exploring the STEM-Project Lead the Way program. Is there any trend or movement in college admissions to substitute the traditional 2-4 year foreign language requirements with fine arts courses or other coursework? How do you suggest that students prepare to fulfill a foreign language requirement, when they do not know what college they will apply to yet?! Is there any wiggle room in the college admission/application process if a student has too few foreign language credits from high school, but has taken rigorous alternative courses instead? Thanks for responding!

As a mother of a high school sophomore, my advice would be, "Let your child take what excites her most, as long as she fulfills minimum language requirements."