<p>This may seem like a fairly idiotic question, but I would appreciate an answer just to give my head some much needed rest.</p>
<p>I am in AP Biology, and it has been somewhat difficult to handle along with 2 other APs. To make a long story short, it appears that I will be receiving a "C" in AP Biology. My other grades in APs and regular classes are much higher, but this "C" is driving me crazy! I plan on applying to all the "usual suspect" MT schools next year, and I am wondering if this will hurt me very much. I received a "B" in AP Biology last semester, but my grade has gone down this semester. If everything else "checks out alright" in terms of GPA and SAT scores, I assume that I will be allowed to audition for schools with academic pre-screens, like UMich. But, my main question is this: assuming schools are happy with my audition, will having a 'C' on my transcript from the second semester of my junior year keep me from being accepted to more academically-inclined schools like UMich, Elon, and NYU? </p>
<p>I am almost 100% positive that the answer is 'NO!" And, I am making a big deal out of NOTHING! But, I would like some advice from others. That way, I can go to bed at night knowing that I did not just ruin my chances big time. Are colleges pleased with the fact that I tried my best and took a rigorous AP course, even though I did not do so well overall, and I probably did not do exceedingly well on the AP test?</p>
<p>Not at all. It can’t help your GPA, but it shouldn’t torpedo you, and those schools won’t exclude you for one C. (Otherwise, I’d have given up the NYU dream in my sophomore year… never have been good at math…)</p>
<p>Many schools recalculate your GPA based on their own formulae, giving more credit for the “rigor” of your curriculum (they’d rather see AP courses attempted than A’s in all basic classes, for example). I know Elon, which you mentioned, has their own way of calculating GPA. As for the AP test itself, that only “counts” for whether you would receive college credit for the course. Every college is different in what/whether they will accept ANY AP tests for course credit, as well as what final score might equal that credit. For MT majors, most of these courses, if accepted, could be used to reduce some of the required gen ed courses that are a part of your requirements…but even a 5 on AP Music Theory, for example, isn’t going to get a kid out of theory as an MT major.</p>
<p>I’d have to see the rest of your academic profile but if you have taken a very demanding curriculum and have very good grades overall, a very good GPA and class rank and test scores in range for the schools to which you apply, then a C for HALF of a year in an AP class is not going to knock you out (particularly if you have no other C’s!). You should be fine. </p>
<p>mommafrog, you mention getting out of music theory as a MT major and how it is not possible. Every college program is different. My D attend Tisch and when she attended (it was CAP21), there were four semesters of required Music Theory. However, there was a placement test on the first day. She never took Music Theory at our HS as it wasn’t offered. However, she placed out of all four semesters of Music Theory at Tisch and never took it. This was not through AP (she had no AP credits), but by the placement test given at Tisch.</p>
<p>I am wondering how applying EA HELPS!!! Won’t it just let you know if you are in academically SOONER…but is it “easier” to get in academically if you apply EA!!! Can you please fill me in some more on applying EA to Elon. I have heard mixed opinions here on CC. Some have stated on the Elon thread not to…I am a little unsure why, though. </p>
<p>There are so many applicants applying to Elon now. My D chose to apply EA in case she did not get in anywhere for MT. She loved Elon as an academic option just in case. All the students she met that applied RD and did not get in for MT also were waitlisted or rejected to Elon. It doesn’t hurt to apply EA and it also shows them a strong interest level. There is no commitment and I believe the deadline is in December (not positive on that) but there is no risk involved. Just a thought. I think your chances are just better if you apply EA if you are a strong candidate. Good luck with this entire process!</p>
<p>Has anyone read “The Gatekeepers” --it’s a fascinating book that follows the admission process for selective academic schools (not MT). Anyway, it explains the whole EA process, and why it is “easier” for a fully-qualified applicant to gain academic acceptance in the earlier rounds at some schools. (The short answer – there are fewer kids who have their acts together for the EA round, so the admissions folks have more time to really read the apps, also you’re starting with all the slots for an incoming class available). Since many of the schools that our kids are looking at do the full academic admissions profile, it’s another interesting facet.</p>
<p>EJmusicman – I think the “don’t apply EA to Elon” idea might have been because you won’t know (necessarily) about your artistic admission when your academic admission is decided…but since there are 2 hoops, seems to me that a NONBINDING early app can help as you go along – if you know you are academically admitted to Elon (or any school with a 2-pronged admission), you can check that part off of the process. </p>
<p>And susie – yep, we’re both using the same qualifiers “every school is different” – I can only speak to those schools where d and I sat through info sessions/asked questions, and it’s interesting regarding AP scores (even for non-MT majors) what schools will and will not accept. (A friend’s daughter got a 5 in AP Calc…both parts…but because of her science major, was still required to sit through college calculus…the schools hold all the cards on what they’re willing to accept, or offer in the way of advanced testing. Kiddo just tested into a 300 level Latin course, should she choose to take a Latin elective along they way…don’t know if she will, but it’s an option.) Nice to know that Tisch offered the theory placement test option, and your daughter was obviously very well-trained in theory to be able to test out of the class! (I did that myself a zillion years ago in college English – not even sure AP had been invented…or at least heard of!..in my backwoods WV high school, but I was able to write my way out of a year of English…always a good thing!)</p>
<p>mommafrog, you are right that each college handles AP credits so differently. My older D didn’t use AP credits toward her undergraduate degree. However, her scores on the AP Calculus AB exam and the AP Calculus BC exam in high school counted for the required math credits to get into highly selective graduate architecture programs. She took NO math in college (she went to Brown which has an open curriculum) but two semesters of college level Calc were required for her grad programs and so the HS AP exams fulfilled that requirement for grad school admissions!</p>
<p>By the way, while D2 never had Music Theory in high school, but placed out of two years of required music theory classes at Tisch, we owe it all to how much her private piano teacher emphasized theory in her years of lessons. She did not take piano with a college MT program in mind (both my kids studied two instruments throughout their years prior to college) but in the end, given that D2 did end up pursuing MT, her piano training has been beneficial in leaps and bounds, and not just the placing out of music theory in her BFA program (I really think those going into MT should play piano…the benefits have been unending in her career). I’m just mentioning this as another way that one learns theory without AP Music Theory which our school doesn’t offer.</p>
<p>I don’t recall at UMich if music theory and piano are one and the same, but my D also placed out of that requirement at UMich too at the audition. Again, it was not through AP credit, but UMich had a piano audition, back when she auditioned, that included playing a prepared piece as well as sight reading and this was used for placement and I recall her being placed in the fifth level, which meant that she would not have had to take any of the required courses for that. </p>
<p>So, at least NYU/Tisch and UMich operated this way. UMich did it on the audition day and Tisch did it at the start of freshmen year.</p>
<p>Bear in mind that the music theory requirements at New Studio may be different for what they were in CAP21. I am pretty sure they do music theory on the studio days, not on the academic class days (not sure how they did it in CAP21).</p>
<p>At CAP21, music theory was also part of studio days and not part of the academic days. When the other students were in music theory at the studio, my D had free time.</p>