<p>hyp2010: If your parent is prof at Princeton, you're in a far better position to learn the answer to your question by asking your parent and other Princeton contacts than by asking anonymous strangers here.</p>
<p>as an aside, there are a few parents here so helpful it's scary :) Northstarmom in particular....i don't know how you get to answering all these questions....or why you feel compelled to help us in the first place. In any case, thanks for all you do here....
jeez.
CC has become a saving grace for me. The counselors at my school aren't knowledgeable, nor readily available. My dad used to be an interviewer for Harvard in the early 60's, but things have changed a great deal since and whatever he can recall in the way of insight is fairly obsolete....Ironically, he doesn't understand the motivation to attend an elite college when one can just as well attend Texas Teacher's College- in his own words- and become the next Lyndon Johnson. America, after all, is the land of opportunity.
So anyway, yes, thank you for everything you do ;)</p>
<p>You think your counselor is bad? I knew more about admissions than mine, but she is a wonderful lady who <em>better</em> write me an equally wonderful recomendation...j/k. Who asaid that summer school was hypothetical? Whoever it was I know your pain! </p>
<p>I'm looking into taking Pre-Cal/Alg 2 H (you can take them together at my school) or taking Alg 2 Honors next year and taking Pre-Cal during night or summer school all because I WANT to take Calc! I have to be insane or something to actually WANT to take Calc!. </p>
<p>If I take Pre-Cal/Alg 2 I would have to drop Debate which looks awesome on a transcript plus I just love to argue in general. So what would you guys do? which is better on a transcript to an Ivy League?</p>
<p>i have something that might be of aid to you....i don't think it's universally applicable, or even 100% true, but here it is.</p>
<p>At 09:15 AM 2/21/2005, i wrote:</p>
<br>
<p>As a junior agonizing over course selection, it would be helpful to me to know whether Brown expects applicants to have completed calculus. So far, i've taken Algebra 2, two years of IB math studies, and plan on taking precalculus over the summer. Math is neither my forte nor my intended major, but I understand that many of your applicants already have calc. I could take honors calculus next year, or i could save myself the struggle by taking AP statistics or a history elective that i'd really enjoy and excel at. Would not taking calculus be really detrimental, and in that case should one take it even at the risk of subpar grades? Thanks so much for your help</p>
<br>
<p>Brown expects applicants to have completed calculus. We certainly
understand the anxiety of taking a course in which you do not feel
confident. It might be helpful to talk to your high school counselor about
getting a tutor at the beginning of the course.
Best wishes,</p>
<p>The Brown Admission Office
(401) 863-2378</p>
<p>Wow, that's pretty harsh ontolome :). Did you sign up for an easier calc class like AP Calc AB?</p>
<p>yea, it's pretty scary :/ well, i'm going to sign up for AB i guess.....how does AB compare to honors?</p>
<p>ontolome,
Thanks for the kind words. They meant a lot. :)</p>
<p>nick, correct me if i'm wrong, but i'm pretty sure the applicant had 3 b-'s soph year. Granted, they said that he was under strict parental pressure during that period. However, for the elite colleges/universities, I'm pretty sure they'll at most let a couple of B+'s or B's slide. 3 B-'s is somewhat stretching it.</p>
<p>Just stop asking questions like that. A D is terrible, and the only thing that might cover that is a Nobel Prize.</p>
<p>I switched schools in the middle of high school and definitely took a drop in English. One of the worst parts is that the old school system didn't offer foreign language, high school math (alg/geo) or basic high school science until 9th. So, when I switched, I was 2 years behind the other kids in spanish, 2 years behind in math and then a year behind in science. (When I say "behind," I mean behind all of the other "smart kids" who took advantage of this all). It's weird being in Honors Trig/Precalc with a bunch of sophomores.</p>
<p>I want to know more about this Amherst case. Like, was there a legitimate REASON for the D? If there was, the adcom should be fired. They claim to give each applicant a good read and yet they refuse to seek out that reason. Hypocrites. Makes me happy I scratched Amherst off my college list.</p>
<p>Oh man, rejected for 3 B's. They'd probably pass out if I applied there... let's just say my transcript looks something like BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB (w00t for weighted classes)</p>
<p>Crap, what if I had, say the same teacher for freshmen year, that gave me a C and B-? Then, after that, all As in Math (and before freshmen year, two years of math A and B). If i have a couple of bad marks such as those, but after that all As and A+s, that allright? My freshman year was horrible...3.3 GPA...however, this year and sophomore year all 4.0.</p>
<p>Amherst is the extreme case. Different schools have different piorities and different types of interests they want to see in applicants. I think that you shouldn't be accepted or rejected soley based on grades, but if grades among with other things combine do not make you appear as a good applicant, then there is something to be said for that. And finally keep in mind that going to a great college, especially the Ivy League schools, is not the end all be all. If you are going to a college based on name recognition you are going FOR THE WRONG REASONS. For me the right college is the one that feels right. You walk on the campus and it doesn't feel foreign. You walk around the buildings and talk to teachers and it seems natural. If that all fits its a good school. Especially, with the elites schools, the differences between one or the other may be shades of gray. They are all great schools and you should feel honored and grateful to even be allowed to APPLY to them. And one final thought, please keep things in the big picture. If you a worried about college acceptences and worried about which college you need to get into, stop worrying and relax. It is college and just that. Your life will not be ruined if you didn't get into your top school. My father can atest to that.</p>
<p>
[quote]
3 B-'s is somewhat stretching it.
[/quote]
Better grades and better scores certainly help getting onto top schools but applicants do not need to be perfect. The "3 Bs" comment seems a little harsh. I'd suggest looking at the common data set (enter data set in the search engine of a school's site) and you can see the SATs and grades schools except. For example, at Cornell 85% of the kids are in the top 10% of their HS class and and at Standford 86% are in the top 10% of their HS class. At Cornell that is 400 something kids who are not in the top 10% ... there are a lot of kids who have a bunch of Bs and even a C or two on their transcripts. Do your best to show yourself and your passion and that is the best you can do!</p>
<p>If you're getting a D in sophomore math, I cannot really sympatheize because high school math is so much easier than college math (trust me on this one). I know straight A students in high school math who get Cs in college math. Just because the material is different, harder and more fast-paced where your skills in math will help you to do well. If you can't do geometry, definitely stay away from Calculus. Ivies expect no less than a B-/B in a high school math course.</p>
<p>I can attest to the difficulty of college math. I'm a junior and just finished Calculus last quarter. Afer working my butt off ( at least 10-15 hours studying/week) I ended up with a C!:( I did learn lots more than my high school friends though. Luckily, I'm taking it again and feel much more confident this time :)</p>
<p>I think your 'D' will give you less to worry about than you think, as long as you are otherwise an outstanding applicant. I was admitted to an ivy league school EA and I failed two classes. Of course, I had extenuating circumstances.</p>
<p>You'll be fine.</p>
<p>are you sure an ivy is for you?</p>
<p>wow schwaby that video is awesome. have you ever found other videos like that about ivy leagues and prestigious LACs?</p>
<p>P.S. Reject a student b/c of a B~B- in soph. year? amherst must be really concerned about grades...</p>