D in calc but extenuating circumstances....do I have any hope?

Applying to College
1

Sorry in advance if this is in the wrong forum category.

In October of last year, my mom was rediagnosed with cancer for the second time in three years. At this point, she’s been deemed terminal and she has until the middle of March. Life has been really tough this semester and made worse by the fact that my dad has fallen back into his old alcoholic habits. I’ve had to become the head of house for the time being with taking care of my 10-year-old sister and paying bills among other things. It’s…hard. As a result of everything going on, I got a D in AP Calc first semester. I got an A on every test but out of class work is weighted pretty heavily in my class and I missed a lot of assignments/projects. I ended with 6 A’s and a D on my mid-year report. I retook the class through an online provider and got an A in it but it didn’t show up on my transcript in time for midyear reports. I realize how terrible it looks for schools especially considering that I’m a CS major and I’m really angry at myself for putting myself in this position but this first semester has been so chaotic and confusing and I haven’t been able to effectively balance school with managing the house and spending what little time I have left with my mom. My counselor has been super amazing and she said that she’s sending in a letter along with my midyear report explaining everything that is going on in my life (minus my dad’s alcoholism which I haven’t told her about but I mentioned it in the additional information section of the common app) and that the D I received is not representative of my true academic ability and that I’ve retaken the class online and gotten an A in it. She also wrote in the letter that she will upload an updated midyear report with the A in the online class when my updated transcript becomes available.

I just wanted some general advice on how to proceed from here. I applied to schools like Stanford, Yale, Duke, and Vandy so I know that my chances were extremely slim anyways. More than anything I just wanted to know whether or not I have any hope for these schools at all (it’s ok if I don’t I really like some of the schools I’ve already been accepted to).

My midyear report drops my GPA from a 3.91 to a 3.82 if that helps. I’m not really worried about my GPA but about the fact that I got a D in a really important class (even though I got A’s on the tests :/)

I also just wanted to add that standardized testing wise I’ve done pretty well in Math. I got an 800 on the math section of the SAT (1550 overall if that helps) and an 800 on the Math SAT II too so hopefully that helps me out.

Thanks to anyone who took the time to read this and sorry if this is a silly question or something. I’m a first-generation college student and I really only decided to apply to these really top schools last minute when my counselor told me that with my financial situation, they would be cheaper than my state school. I don’t really have much knowledge about this process.

2

first, i’m so, so sorry about your mother (and your father). you seem to have a lot of weight on your shoulders. second, since your counselor included a detailed explanation regarding your situation, and you included an explanation in the additional information section, and you retook the class and achieved an A, i think you’ll be just fine. i don’t know why, but this post struck something in me. whatever happens, i am very, very proud of you. please update next month when you receive your decisions.

3

Hopefully your GC explained your challenging home life in their recommendation. But there is no way to forecast how a college will view your entire record. Good luck

4

My S got a D in Algebra II fall semester his junior year. We hired a tutor to help him since we knew he was struggling. Tutor affirmed that he understood the material, but had difficulty presenting it in the precise way the teacher required. All his other grades were A’s. He had received a few B’s here and there during high school, but had never received a C before, let alone a D.

He was permitted to change teachers and move to another class for spring semester and got an A.

His guidance counselor addressed the issue on his common application.

He was admitted Early Decision to a highly selective LAC. They did request his mid-term grades, which fortunately were all A’s.

So an isolated D on your transcript is not necessarily the end, and there may be hope.

Best wishes to you!

5

thanks so much! @“Erin’s Dad” @college_query @kalons

6

bump

7

That REALLY is extenuating circumstances. If I were on the board, I would not let it reflect poorly. So sorry that you have had to go through such a tough time. Make sure you get in touch with a Senior Admissions Officer and get this into your record somehow so that your application doesn’t go into the NO pile without a read. Your approach seems to be great and your scores are solid. I really wish you all the best. Also, if you have to take time to be with your Mom, you should explore that. It will be the best time spent. Some people have big bumps early in life and an easy life thereafter.