<p>I know that CalTech cares about grades more than almost any college in the country. Will a B+ in Adv. Chem both semesters in my Junior Year keep me out. I am the only Junior (in my school) in years stupid enough to take adv. chem, adv. physics, and calc at a college at the same time. I got A's in those classes (and other recognitions in those areas) but an A in Chemisty eluded me. Does one need a medal at IMO or something to make up for the B+ ???
Thanks for any help</p>
<p>wait.... These are college courses you're talking about? I don't think they'll be very worried. I think they'll be quite happy with the As in Physics and Calc.</p>
<p>Errr... no. I read applications, and I made plenty of mistakes in high school one B+ won't kill you. We understand. Don't get any more though :)</p>
<p>Ben</p>
<p>You'd be surprised at the small things that can keep you out of these places though.</p>
<p>I applied EA awhile ago (I was HS class of 2000) and was deferred. There was nothing I could do to improve my "numbers" so I called up the admissions office, and asked what in the world more I could do. They said it "raised a red flag" that I had chosen to have my 3rd recommendation (Caltech required 1 math/science, 1 humanities, and 1 other of your choice) written by my band director (who knows me extremely well and whose recommendation was subsequently important for me in the Rhodes process) instead of another math/science teacher.</p>
<p>I felt that was pretty unfair. If they really wanted another math/science rec, they should've asked for it. I picked the teacher who knew me the best instead, and that was apparently a mistake.</p>
<p>I submitted a supplemental letter from my AP Chem teacher (who had known me for all of a semester, as opposed to 3.5 years for the band director) and ended up getting in RD.</p>
<p>A B+ won't keep you out, but the mentally that "ohmygawd, a B+ is gonna be the end of me" might.</p>
<p>I had worse than a B+ on my transcript...</p>