<p>I'm a Freshman in High School as of right now. I'm halfway through the year. The last two terms, I've basically gotten Low B's, High C's and even a low C or two for my term grades. My parents have told me that I'm basically out of the running for any Ivy League Universities. My parents have tried to scare me a bit in the past, but they're also very smart people. I'm trying to get my grades up and I'm heading towards much better grades this term, but am I "Past the point of no return"? How damaging are grades like this going to be when I apply to Colleges? Thank you, anyone who responds.</p>
<p>If you get solid As this semester in order to bring those grades up to A minuses and Bs, then continue to do well all through high school with solid As and a B+ or two, then you still have a shot at the Ivies. You still have hope as of right now, but if your grades are still like this after the 1st half of sophomore year, your odds are basically down to none.</p>
<p>Your first semester of Freshman year shoudn’t matter too much as long as you work harder and maintain better grades the rest of your high school year. Good luck.</p>
<p>As long as you end the year with more A’s than B’s (and no C’s mind you) you still have a shot at the Ivies. Follow Stokey’s advice^ It’s the truth.</p>
<p>What they said. Something to keep in mind - don’t freak out and overload with APs in the future. You want the right balance of academics and extracurriculars. Actually, here’s some recommended reading:</p>
<p>For Grades:</p>
<p>How to Become a Straight-A Student by Cal Newport. </p>
<p>For College Admissions:</p>
<p>How to be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport. </p>
<p>If you’re not already, focus on becoming a good writer - it helps A LOT in later classes. None of my classmates bothered to ever learn how to write and, thanks to voracious reading habits, I learned how to write naturally. It’s coming back to but them in the derriere now ;).</p>