<p>Does anybody know USC's take on failing a class the first semester of your senior year?</p>
<p>Granted, it was AP calculus and I had a lot of family problems (death in the family) to deal with this year..overall, my grades were lower than my previous years, but I feel like it's possible for me to move on with this whole family situation and improve a lot this semester.</p>
<p>Anybody?</p>
<p>I think you should write a letter to the director of admissions explaining the situation and I think that should at least give you some help...</p>
<p>earlier this semester I was scared I might have been failing a class and called the office of admission, and they said that they really don't think you should have any failing grades, but this is clearly a situation where you should be allowed leniency I would assume</p>
<p>just wondering but is your course AP caluclus? math has always been my best subject grade wise and i have a low D this year with A's in everything else... my principal would write a letter for me, would that help?</p>
<p>oh nevermind i see it is lol yea im on the same boat</p>
<p>ya man AP Calc is a *****! i pulled off a C, but still hella hard, then I got a C in honors physics too, hopefully im not toast because of it</p>
<p>I'm sorry to hear about your family problems. You have to notify USC at one time or another. One option is to wait until after you've been admitted - that way the failing grade won't be used in your admission decision. Another option is to send it right away and hope that they show leniency. Of course, if they request a mid year report you won't really have a choice. </p>
<p>Personally, I would wait until after you get your acceptance already, but it's your call to make. Whatever you decide to do, include a personal letter as well as a letter from a school official (guidance counselor, principal, whatever)</p>
<p>Best of luck in resolving this.</p>
<p>it's tough to say about calculus because it tends to be a class that separates students. you either get it or you don't. there are alot of students in my class who got all As in math and failed out of calc, but there are also students who have done the opposite.</p>
<p>I don't feel that calculus is a math subject that people "either get it or they don't". If that were true, it wouldn't be taught in high schools, nor would it be required for many college majors. I guess some people just have to work harder than others to grasp the concepts. Math for me is overall pretty challenging, but I decided to stick it out because I'm not really sure if colleges like the whole "not taking math your senior year" thing.</p>
<p>Question: In other school districts, does failing a class equate to receiving a 0.0 GPA for the course? I don't feel that's actually fair for an AP course (or honors) because most students in advanced-level courses aren't the type to mess around and not care about grades. (I definitely did care) </p>
<p>Failing a challenging AP course is not equivalent to slacking off in a regulars course and getting the same GPA.</p>
<p>Regardless, do you feel a family situation, like the one that I am currently experiencing, is sufficient enough to explain my grades? I didn't do just horribly in calculus. My grades overall were lower than previous semesters, but I'm worried about coming off as whiny, which is not the effect that I am achieving.</p>
<p>If i get straight B's (im in all AP classes, 5 of them) does that look bad ?</p>
<p>miss blue: Yes, any failure counts as a 0.0 in my school district (probably most, if not all, school districts) As far as coming off as whiney - if you carefully word your explanation, the colleges should be understanding. Don't fall into the trap of providing no explanation at all - you run the high risk of having your admission revoked. Just bring the grades up second semester and use that as proof that it was an isolated occurrence and not part of a larger pattern.</p>
<p>nguyen: Is that first semester senior year?</p>
<p>yea, first semester senior year</p>
<p>You're fine. They'll be happy you are challenging yourself.</p>
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ya man AP Calc is a *****! i pulled off a C, but still hella hard,
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<p>Totally. I did the same thing last yr and yet i'm at USC... well i made A's everywhere else to make up for it... Math just isn't my thing.</p>
<p>is midyear reports for everybody or jsut borderline kids?</p>
<p>nguyen: The answer is halfway down the first page of this thread: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=286681%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=286681</a></p>
<p>ugh I've never had trouble with math until AP Calc this year... it depresses me, and I'm pretty much scared poopless for my college decisions because of my calc grades</p>
<p>if i get an A in calculus and physics and i'm applying for engineering, should i send in my grades?</p>
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if i get an A in calculus and physics and i'm applying for engineering, should i send in my grades?
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<p>No, A's are unacceptable. Community College material. Sorry.</p>
<p>no haha i mean do you think it's enough of a positive to send in if they don't ask for it?</p>
<p>Yes! Ofcourse!</p>