Advice WANTED only from smart CC people [!]

Applying to College
1

<p>Seriously, even the craziest ideas are appreciated. </p>

<p>Situation: Although my academic strength clearly lies in the Humanities - as in I have various writing awards, I speak 3 languages fluently, English is my best subject, I'm a good artist, etc - I'm not soooo bad at math. I took AP Calculus(AB) sophomore year and managed to get a 5 and an A! Yay congrats me, THEN, I took AP Stats junior year and decided to nail down a C- on the final transcript!!!!!! </p>

<p>Goal: I really REALLY want to ED to a LAC. I've heard that colleges always look at my most recent grades most attentively, for which my case, they would include the dreadful dreadful dreadful C MINUS!!! I'm extremely worried, because I know that LAC really looks for well-rounded students, so I don't think having math as my weak area would put up a good excuse. Especially when they're the ones who care about the transcript the most... </p>

<p>Ideas I came up with:
Now, my GC "advised" me that students can always fake out some, you know, the medical problems, crazy family crisis, et cetra, to explain the sudden drop in grades. Well, I'm not really interested in THAT... </p>

<p>(Even if I want to use "my sister got cancer" excuse, when I received the C in math, my grades in other subjects jumped UP. It actually wasn't a blow to my overall GPA. Actually, my GPA remained solidly the same with the C or without.)</p>

<p>So I'm looking for more of a practical solution. A smart solution. </p>

<ul>
<li>My performance in AP Calculus would hopefully prove that I'm not a complete airhead in mathematics?? </li>
<li>Should I write some sort of letter? To somehow "explain"? even tho I have NO IDEA what I would say.</li>
<li>I'm thinking about taking a Statistics course AGAIN in some community college?? Would that help? </li>
<li>Having a 800 on SAT I and SAT II math subjects - would that compensate somehow?</li>
</ul>

2

<p>Well, what I'd like to know [and what I think others would as well] is your own HONEST explanation of why you got a C-. Was the material really challenging? Or did you slack off? Or was there some other reason?</p>

3

<p>I don't think that making excuses would be a good idea. If you were you I wouldn't do anything about it. Colleges know that people aren't always perfect and perhaps they'll think you had a bad teacher or something to that effect. Honestly it's just one grade! Let it slideeeee.</p>

4

<p>I didn't get along with the teacher, and the class was extremely disruptive. My school has a bunch of stats classes taught by different teachers but tested by the same final exams at the end, and everyone in my class failed the exam altogether. On top of that, yes, I found the materials of statistics impossibly challenging. ........................ I dont know why?? I had so much fun in calculus!!!</p>

5

<p>*Ideas I came up with:
Now, my GC "advised" me that students can always fake out some, you know, the medical problems, crazy family crisis, et cetra, to explain the sudden drop in grades. Well, I'm not really interested in THAT... *</p>

<p>It sickens me that your GC advised you to lie about an illness.</p>

6

<p>Having one C- wouldn't prevent your getting in ED to a LAC. Of course, that depends on what LAC you choose to apply to. </p>

<p>"Now, my GC "advised" me that students can always fake out some, you know, the medical problems, crazy family crisis, et cetra, to explain the sudden drop in grades. Well, I'm not really interested in THAT... "</p>

<p>If your GC is suggesting that you lie, you have a serious problem in that your GC is unethical. I wouldn't trust a GC like that.</p>

<p>If your GC is suggesting that you let the college know about something that did happen and did affect your grades, then follow her advice. If your sister really did get cancer the year that you got the C-, then that could be something for your GC (preferably) to mention in her report.</p>

7

<p>Here's what I would tell you. If you are getting great math grades such as in Calc and two 800s on SAT/SATIIs, it will show the adcoms that you are actually good at math, and that perhaps your C was just a minor flaw. It really depends on what else you have, if everything else is outstanding then one grade probably won't kill you. It also depends which schools you are applying to. You mention LACs - I would say it probably doesn't kill you for the most part aside from the top 3 (Swat, Williams, Amherst); however it would be a lie to say it wouldn't affect you at all, because it probably will come out as a blemish. </p>

<p>Now your problem at hand is how do you deal with such a grade. I share the same question zoaxanthellae asked: why did you get that grade. From the way you are asking this question I can assume it is not because of a special problem you were faced with, but instead something general such as being overly challenged, or maybe slacking a little. </p>

<p>Do you need to write a letter about one small grade? If its not a special circumstance, then no.
Does taking a stats course again help? Probably not enough to make a difference.
What else can you do? Well, as your GC recommended, you can lie about it. Thats more of a moral issue than anything else and it looks like you have plenty of excuses to use. but that is a decision you would really have to ask yourself whether you are making the right decision.</p>

8

<p>"everyone in my class failed the exam altogether"
A note from your GC mentioning that the teacher for your Statistics class unfortunately did not prepare any of the students in his class for the final exam will be sufficient. An explanation should come from the GC, not you. It will have more credibility that way, and is less likely to come off soundig like an excuse.</p>

9

<p>this thread interests me..at my school you can only take AB as a senior (unless you skipp a grade in math which only like 2-3 kids do each year) after having taken algebra/geometry/trig/precall and even then its not considered particularly easy.</p>

<p>thats so interesting that someone who claims not to be good at math could successfully do it soph year</p>

<p>is tha a private or pub school?</p>

10

<p>what score did you get for AP stats?</p>

<p>and...do you seriously consider yourself bad at math? you got 800s on the math sections of SAT I and IIs, took calc ab as a sophomore, and got a 5....</p>

<p>for most students, that would be a GOOD math student.</p>

<p>and I've never heard that LACs want particularly well-rounded students...</p>

11

<p>Thank you so much for your comments everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D Seriously, I appreciate all of your help so much! </p>

<p>to Tzar : eh its a private school. and I'm thinking about top 5 LAC.</p>

<p>I guess the admission officers will just see me as slacking off and give me a call or something. Is slacking off worse than just plainly being stupid?</p>

12

<p>I think you're wrongly blaming yourself here. You look like a strong Math student to me. I think it was mostly your Stats teacher that made the situation bad. Usually, people on CC blame everyone else for their problems, but in your case, that's not wrong.</p>

13

<p>Statistics is not Calculus.</p>

<p>You can be very good at one, and very bad at the other. Sort of like how you can be really good at Physics and really bad at Biology. If you don't get admitted to a college because the folks don't know this already, well frankly, you don't want to go to that college.</p>

<p>menloparkmom is right. Have your guidance office write about what a disaster that particular Stats class was for everyone, and just be done about it.</p>

<p>While you are at it, get a guidance counselor with a better sense of personal honor to help you through this process.</p>