Hey guys,
I’m taking 5 APs this year.
AP Lit
AP Macro
AP spanish
AP Stat
Multivariable Calc and Linear Algebra
I have A’s in every single class, except I have a C in Multivariable Calc and Linear Algebra. (Calc 3 and 4) It’s a really hard class but I’m trying to improve. For the mid-year report colleges will receive, will it lower my chances? I’m applying to Cornell, Columbia, Princeton, cmu, nyu, and other targets and safeties. I have really strong ECs, national and state level and good essays. Stats r 1510 and 4.3 gpa.
I’m just scared because I’ve had A’s all HS, but this is first time Im getting a C. Please let me know based on your experiences! Thank you so much.
This is so frustrating. I really feel for you. Most students never take that math class in high school, even the best students. So it seems unfair for them to judge you based upon getting a C in a class that most people never take even in college!
Is there ANYTHING that you can do to pull it up to even a B minus before the end of the semester? Ask the teacher about curving, extra points, anything to bring it up to a B minus. And if it cannot be done, just accept it, and don’t worry about it. You could turn it into a positive at the interview, mention that you shoot for the moon, and you don’t worry about whether it’s going to affect your GPA, your main concern is learning as much as you possibly can. I’ll never forget a girlfriend of mine, a very high-achieving student, who got a C in some incredibly tough engineering class. I was shocked. YOU got a C? She replied, “I’m PROUD of that C! I worked incredibly hard for that C.” I just thought it was such a great attitude, and I knew it was true, that she HAD worked hard for that C. That’s the attitude to have about it, if you really tried your hardest and did your best, under the circumstances.
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Thank you, this was really helpful!
I’ll try my best and see what happens but this course is extremely difficult to self-study. On top of that, my teacher doesn’t like students contacting him… I’ll see what I can do hopefully it will work!!
If I am unable to convince my teacher, do you think I should send a letter to admissions just providing context as to why I received this grade and show that I’m improving from first to second quarter? Saying how I am adjusting to self-studying a math course?
Are you teaching it to yourself? Under what auspices are you taking this? Are you taking it as an online class through some high school/college experience? Are you taking it online just because of Covid? You’re taking it online and the teacher DOESN’T want students contacting him? You’re doing it totally self-study, but with a teacher, and the teacher DOESN’T want students contacting him?
It seems to me that this class would be incredibly difficult as a high school student, even if you were taking it with an excellent teacher in-person. But it sounds as if you are taking it basically as a teach it to yourself course, with no teacher, except to grade you.
Can you please give some more information about this? It sounds to me as if you need someone to tutor you in it. And yes, with your record, if this course is being taught online, or as self-study, it MIGHT be appropriate for someone to give the schools some context. Not you, but possibly your school guidance counselor. You would approach the counselor to send out a supplemental note, stating something like, “Prodigy Mathson long ago outstripped the resources of our math program. Due to our remote location/Covid/no transportation/whatever reason, Prodigy is taking Multivariable Calc and Linear Algebra at such and such a school under a self-guided study program, with no instructional support. Naturally, this is a very challenging course that no student in our school has ever taken, much less as an online self-study program. Please view his record in that class in light of the challenging circumstances.”
That would change it from their possibly thinking that you’ve hit the max on your math ability, to isn’t this kid incredible, taking this very difficult course under such adverse circumstances, and he’s still learning something.