<p>Throughout my 10th-11th grades, I have had very bad math teachers. I did not earn a single A in a math class during this time :(( However, I did get straight A's my freshmen year, but that is currently the only year where I ever earned an A in a math class. I'm EXTREMELY frightened that I might not be accepted into the UCLA/UCB engineering program. :(( How bad do the B's in my math classes affect my chance of admission???</p>
<p>For engineering majors as selective as those at UCLA and UCB, B grades in high school math courses are rather unfavorable.</p>
<p>Your GPA is going to be a drain on your overall application to an engineering program; but, I think you have a shot if you show exemplary SAT scores and similarly high scores in SAT subject tests adjacent to the field you want to study, e.g, Physics, Math I, Math II.</p>
<p>Did anyone in your class get an A? Then step one is to realize the problem may be you and not the math teacher. </p>
<p>Everyone eventually hits the Math Wall where study habits need to change, the subject gets harder, and it’s no longer the easy ride that it was. Recognize that and you might get back on track - but you’ve now had two years of less than ideal learning, a weak foundation usually means you will eventually crumble.</p>
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Classic marker of immaturity. Blaming others. </p>
<p>It is <em>unthinkable</em> that you’d have to do more work than other kids are doing. It is <em>unreasonable</em> that you’d have to take the initiative to learn something (say, calculus) on your own; the school <em>owes</em> you wonderful instruction and if they don’t give it then nobody could possibly hold you at fault for not learning the material. Hence you even think it may be justifiable to send a letter to a college essentially saying “this grade isn’t my fault; I had a bad teachers”.</p>
<p>If you wanted to, if you took the mature approach and owned the responsibility for learning the material, you could have done so. There are books for self-taught students. Workbooks with solved problems so you can practice. Websites explaining math, forums where you can ask questions. Khan Academy is well known, so are the free MOOCs and iTunesU. And more…</p>
<p>The thing you really need to explain is why you did NONE of this. So do bad math grades tell adcoms something about you? You bet!!!</p>
<p>@mikemac @MrMom62 I would like to add that only about 1 or 2 people actually got an A in their prospective math classes. Even our valedictorian (Who I am in the same math classes with) got B’s in the classes. I do fairly well in math; I scored a 700 on the math section of the SAT. I don’t blame my teachers for their teaching methods, rather, for their grading methods.</p>
<p>@mikemac However, I think you are right about my effort. I should have taken the time to study on my own and taken a more mature approach towards my academics.</p>
<p>Then you should have stated that. They are not “bad teachers”, rather they are tough graders. The fact that you got a 700 on your SAT is evidence that they taught you well. Not sure how the UCs view SAT IIs, but you might try that as showing you have the math skills as well. </p>
<p>GCs can also explain that the math teachers are very, very tough and few As are given.</p>
<p>@MrMom62 Yes, I’m just very disappointed in the way they grade our work. Even the slightest mistake could bring our grades down a grade level, and even a 100% could only bring our grade up minimally.</p>
<p>@MrMom62 Would it be more favorable for me to apply for a physics major instead since it belongs in the college of letters and sciences?</p>
<p>I have no idea - but we do have UC experts who will be able to answer that.</p>
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<p>Nope. UC’s do not accept letters of recommendation.</p>