Couple Bad Grades Can Ruin me? Sophomore year

Applying to College
1

Hi, I had all A/A- in my freshman year so no issue there, but in sophomore year, I earned the following grades

IB Chemistry- B
IB Biology- B+
History Honors- A
Language Honors- A
Foreign Language- A-
Precalculus Honors- A+

These were all my core classes, all other filler classes like gym were A+

My question: Will the two B’s I got in Biology and Chemistry (both HL) significantly impact my chances at a top 20 engineering school. From a purely GPA and grades perspective, will they have any effect? (Without other factors such as SAT and extracurriculars)

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, keep in mind most students at my school take only 1 science course

2

As long as you keep your class rank in the top 10%, you should be fine. If your school doesn’t rank, then keep 3.7 or 3.8 or higher and study hard for the SAT. Keep good relationships with possible recommenders and do worthwhile extracurriculars. I am going to Vanderbilt engineering next year despite having 2 C’s on my transcript (one in precalc!)

3

A B isn’t a bad grade, so please keep a bit of perspective. There are plenty of people in prestigious colleges who have a shameful B lurking in their past. Please find better things to worry about.