I got 2 full year B’s (an 86 and an 87) in AP Chemistry and APUSH I last year as a sophomore, but my GPA is pretty high; I have a 94.9 unweighted and a 97.8 weighted. I did well in all my classes (mid-high A’s in all honors/APs) other than those two. Will the admissions officers care about the B’s very much?
If you were to get rejected for 2 B’s, it’s unlikely you would have been accepted with all A’s. GPA’s are just one part of the overall application.
I would say it could have much more impact for some applicants than for others. If you are a URM, with an otherwise stellar application, outstanding rec letters and essay, from a geographic part of the country that traditionally has few acceptances, a couple of B’s in challenging courses will have no impact whatsoever. Or, if your parents are in the top 0.0001% and can afford to donate a new research lab, your B’s will likely be overlooked.
But suppose you came from a high school where 15-20 people commonly apply to elite colleges, and 10-12 of them get acceptances. Further, suppose everyone else in your exact same classes got straight A’s, so their GPA is even higher than yours. In that hypothetical situation, your few B’s on your transcript would undoubtedly matter.
I am guessing that you are not in these extreme cases where it would definitely be overlooked, nor where it would definitely matter. One of the hardest things students have to learn is how to relax about things like this. My son told us, especially his younger sister, that he found that thinking about extremes helped him get perspective. He realized that he was very competitive, but also so were a LOT of other kids.
Keep up the good work, and good luck in your junior year.
Based on members of my family who have attended Columbia, I can state pretty categorically that a couple “Bs” will not affect your chances of admission. It all depends on your circumstances, the rigor of your school etc. Indeed, an “B” from a top-flight school is worth more than an “A” from a school that awards them by the dozen. Your regional admissions counselor WILL know your school and how to evaluate your academic record in context.
None of us can guess the impact of the chem grade for a CS or EE hopeful. Adding to 3puppies, not just competition from your hs, but from your local area. But we have plenty of stories on CC of things working out fine, despite a hiccup. Mind your app/supps. Know how to put your best foot forward in those.