<p>Here are all my math grades:
9th - Geometry (C-, D)
10th - Alg II (B, B)
11th - Precal (A, B)
12th - AP Calc (Not yet taken)</p>
<p>I'm applying to many UCs, a few Cali privates, and USC as a computer science and engineering major. What can I do about my bad grade? I mean, do I write an essay about how I've grown and improved? Do I take another math class?</p>
<p>Did you have any other poor grades your freshman year? If they can see an upward trend in your overall grades, they usually like to hear some sort of explanation, even if you choose not to put it in the essay. If it’s just your math class, I’m not sure how much I would sweat it.</p>
<p>Did your precalc class re-cover any geometry? That might be worth mentioning, since you did well in it.</p>
<p>Also, try to do well on your SAT I math section and SAT II math. And if there’s an area where you can explain any abnormalities on your app, you might want to take advantage of that.</p>
<p>Normally, I’m not a proponent of the “Explain away one grade” school of thought, but geometry is more relevant to CS than it is to most other majors, and C-/D is pretty low at the high school level.</p>
<p>If I were an adcom, I would be worried…</p>
<ol>
<li>High school math classes are pretty easy.</li>
<li>College engineering math classes are rather brutal.</li>
<li>Hmm…</li>
</ol>
<p>Well, good luck with it.</p>
<p>Haha Ray, I got *way *higher grades in math at Stanford than in high school, but my high school math was insane. I was only a B+ student in math despite getting 800s on the SAT and PSAT math, 800 on math iic, and 5’s on AP calc and stats. My point, it has to be taken in context of the difficulty high school and his achievements on the standardized tests. If OP can give us more information we may be able to judge how prepared he is for a rigorous engineering major at a top school.</p>
<p>Of course that is the case, but I’m working under the assumption that if his school was that hard he would’ve mentioned it (same assumption an adcom would probably make).</p>
<p>First of all, I’m a girl, which might help a bit going into a male dominated major right?</p>
<p>My freshman grades are as follows:
Geometry C-/D
Choir A/A
PE A/A-
English A/A-
Health A
Physical Science A
Concert Choir B</p>
<p>Community college classes:
Hip Hop F (didn’t complete requirements =/)</p>
<p>My sophomore grades are as follows:
Alg 2 B/B
Choir A
Honors English B/B
Modern World History B/B
Biology A/A+
Spanish 1 A/A
Step Aerobics A/A-</p>
<p>My junior year grades are as follows:
AP English Lang B-/B-
AP USH B/B (will be changed to A+/A+ if I pass the AP test, I felt like I did well on it)
Spanish 2 A-/B
Chemistry A-/A
Precalc A/B</p>
<p>Community college classes:
Sociology B
Public Speaking A
Ballet B/A</p>
<p>Senior schedule:
AP Calculus (BC test)
AP Environmental Science
AP English Lit
AP Econ
AP Gov
Theater History
Physics (No AP/Honors offered)</p>
<p>Community college classes:
Ballet
Jazz
Intro to Engineering</p>
<p>I’m not sure if you would consider that an upward trend or not.
I only got a 570 in math on my first SAT (took the June SAT, I’ll update after I find out that score on Thursday).
Just took ACT in June.
Taking Math Level II in October.</p>