Am I screwed because of my Bs?

Applying to College
1

Hi CC,

As of now, I have 1 B+ from 2nd trimester and 1 B+ and 1 B from 3rd trimester, all from junior year. As a senior who’s apply to college, my 1st trimester grades of this year won’t be sent until the middle of November for early apps. So, my question is, will grades drag me down in college admissions because of my 3 Bs? What’s worse is that they show a “downward trend” as junior year progressed. My current UW is 3.92 (W 5.5); I feel as if I have no chance EA for somewhere like Stanford (especially with a 34 ACT). Any insight?

2

One or two B’s will not disqualify someone from an elite school, but neither is a 34 ACT a ticket in. One thing to think about is that grades are measurements, not rewards. So if your best work ends up leading you to B’s, which is not a terrible thing, you maybe shouldn’t be automatically shooting for the academic powerhouses that other people think are important.

3

Yes, I’m sure top schools don’t accept anyone <4.0. :wink: Please, breathe.

4

The marginal utility of every .1 point of GPA decreases drastically after a 3.8. I wouldn’t worry about it.