Last year I got a B- on my transcript for Honors Math, as a freshman (ended with a 3.6 UW GPA). This year I managed to keep my grades all A’s, but will that one B- destroy my chances at top schools? I know that there are a number of other factors in college admissions, but will that one B- automatically throw me into the “no” pile?
No.
That said, you’re a rising sophomore, so you still have time, but for “top schools” you really need to work on increasing GPA. While there are numerous other factors in the process, a 3.6 is less-than-competitive.
When the time comes asses your academic stats (including GPA, standardized tests, course rigor) as well as your financial needs and apply to a wide range of reach, match, and safety schools that appear affordable (you will have to run a net price calculator for each school you consider) and that you would be happy to attend. You need to expand your horizons and recognize that there are many wonderful schools out there where you can have a great 4 year experience and get where you want to go in life.
One word: RELAX.
You’re a rising sophomore. You have time to recover from that grade. I was like you: I got two B+'s my freshman year. I was freaking out that I wouldn’t get into a good school. So after that, I resolved myself to make sure that I wouldn’t get to that ever again. Well, as sophomore and junior year went by, I realized that NONE of the Ivy Leagues had what I was looking for. In fact, many of the top schools in the nation didn’t have what I was looking for. In the end, I applied and enrolled at a small school near UPenn where I get a 20K scholarship each year for 4 out of my 6 years there (as a BSHS/DrPT major). Moral of this story: things change. I’m sure your views on what schools you want to go to will change. Spend sophmore and junior year getting those grades, test scores, and ECs under your belt. Visit colleges and universities you’d like to go to. See if you’d like to be there. You don’t have to go to an Ivy League to be successful.
As my Honors US History teacher said before every exam, “The sun is still shining. The grass is still green. You have your health. You have your youth. And your family still loves you.” The world isn’t going to end because you got a B-.
Hope this helps and best of luck with high school!
Don’t stress about it. I know Harvard Students who have gotten some B’s in high school.
Everybody has some imperfection in their application. When an applicant doesn’t get into a school that rejects 95% of their applications, nobody can say exactly why. The B? The interview? The typo in the essay? A less than stellar recommendation? Something about the mix of ECs? The odds were low to begin with.
You can’t change your freshman grades, so just move on to what is still on your control.