<p>Today I found out that I will most likely get a B in my Pre-Calculus class (I was absent during several key lessons, due to ECs), and I'm currently freaking out, thinking that this will ruin my chances to go to an Ivy. Besides this, the only B on my record is from an Algebra Honors class I took in 8th grade. </p>
<p>This would bring my GPA down to a 3.88 unweighted, and I'm currently a sophomore. Does this grade kill my chances?</p>
<p>yes, you’re completely screwed for the rest of your life :P</p>
<p>in all seriousness, the B on your transcript will hurt your application, but it won’t completely ruin your chances of getting in. obviously, a 4.0 GPA isn’t going to be your forte, so find other things that will make you stand out</p>
<p>Don’t stress out. There is so much more to a students profile than just the transcript of grades. Class rigor, leadership, EC’s, hobbies, volunteer work, paid jobs, SAT’s, ACT’s etc…
You are only a sophomore so you still have 2 years to “prove yourself”. Be who you are and apply to schools that will offer you what you need. Don’t go for just the name or prestige. You’ll be more successful and happier in the long run. </p>
<p>Best of luck and focus on who you want to be and not what you think a particular college wants to see on an application.</p>
<p>In your sophomore year, I wish for you that you might relax and not even think about college for a year or so. Clearly you work hard and care about your future. Otherwise, just try to pursue your interests and learn about yourself. When the time comes, you will end up at a college that fits you, which may or may not be Harvard. </p>
<p>I heard about a study that said that the kids who are fixated on Harvard are depressed once they go there: the goal has been achieved and it feels empty after that. The goal should not be Harvard, but the kind of learning that can happen there or anywhere else. Please don’t live your life with getting into Harvard as some kind of fixed point on the horizon. If you really want to think about college now, then read up on all kinds of schools: there are lots of books out on the subject.</p>
<p>Take care.</p>
<p>I am not necessarily fixated on Harvard in particular, rather, Ivy League schools in general. I would like to study physics or economics, and these schools would give me many advantages when it comes to opportunities for research or meeting those in the top of the field.</p>
<p>It’s nice to hear the the schools place more emphasis on the whole package than just grades, as I believe I can stand out quite well when the time comes. Anyone have any stories of people who made it to school without the 4.0?</p>
<p>I got into Harvard with a 3.87. Just relax. I did have a distinct upward trend but I had more A-'s than A’s in freshman year and in the HS classes I took in 8th grade, including a B+ in 9th grade. Obviously it didn’t matter in the end, if anything it shows some depth of character and that you aren’t a type-A brown-nosing robot.</p>
<p>Yeah, there are definitely lots of people who get in without 4.0 GPAs, and there are lots of 4.0 GPAs that rejected. Sure, a perfect GPA is good, but it is by no means a prerequisite for admission (I got into Princeton with about a 3.85 UW). Just chill, don’t stress. Don’t be fixated on ‘going to an ivy.’ Just have fun, do what you want to do and follow your own passions.</p>
<p>Don’t worry! I got in with 2 Cs (freshman year and calc) and a couple of B’s on my transcript, and I’m not a URM or a legacy. I just had a hard courseload and was passionate about my activities, had great SATs, and AMAZING recs and essays.</p>
<p>The Ivies aren’t the only schools that offer research opportunities, or the chance to meet people who are tops in the fields your are interested in. But honestly, as a sophomore, you should also expect that your interests might change.</p>
<p>You are still obsessing about grade point average. Try going a year without knowing what your GPA is, and relax!</p>
<p>Ahh… the one B scenario… it’s sad how the brains of the smartest kids in the nation suddenly drop several deciles in IQ when confronted with that snag. Critical reasoning, systematic analysis, and logical thinking get thrown out of the window in a sheer flood of lab rat like panic. </p>
<p>Relax… I got into Yale with 2 B’s, both surprisingly in non-AP classes…</p>