I got a B in freshman PE. It’s my only B. Other than that, I took every AP class and honors class I could fit into my schedule. Straight As except for 2nd-semester freshman PE. I had recently moved to the U.S. and schools in my country don’t have swimming pools, so I never learned how to swim. By the time I came to the PE class, the only unit left was the swimming unit, and the standards were very high. There was no instruction, we were expected to learn how to tread water on our own. I got an F on the tread water test and this gave me a B in the class. Do I need to explain this in my common app’s “breaks in continuity” section where i give the circumstances of my move and its impacts? I really don’t want it to affect my chances. Before you ridicule me, I am aiming pretty high, so I’d really like to know how much this will matter.
A B in gym won’t be an issue. There is absolutely no need or reason to explain it on your application.
A B in PE won’t affect any of your admissions. I wouldn’t feel the need to explain it and to make excuses for it almost seems petty. However, if given an essay prompt about overcoming a failure it might make a good story about moving here and not being able to swim but please don’t make it about feeling like a failure because I got my only B. Don’t worry about it.
In any event, please learn to swim for your future safety.
They will care zero-point-zero.
No one is going to ridicule you for not knowing how to swim or for getting a B in gym.
As you are new in the US and say you aiming high, be aware that what you do apart from school work matters a lot. Don’t neglect grades in favor of ECs, but don’t spend all your time on academics either.
Great essay topic.
Slightly off topic, but D18 and I visited Columbia U this past Spring Break and the student tour guide said that there used to be a swim test prior to graduation, but they don’t do it any more. I thought that was kinda funny. I had never heard of a swim test to graduate college before.
Lots of schools used to do swim tests. My undergrad use to do a posture picture and if the student didn’t do well, had to take some sort of posture class. That was a long time ago…
https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/college-swim-tests-eyes-doggie-paddler/
@jym626 Posture class? OK, that’s even funnier. =))
@sushiritto - if you’ve never heard of this, then its time for a history lesson… read up, especially if you are looking at some ivies and top LACs.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1995/3/18/posing-for-posture-pbabs-an-american/
http://yale1959.org/the-posture-pictures/
https://vcencyclopedia.vassar.edu/student-organizations/athletics/posture-and-photographs.html
That’s crazy. I must have missed the news stories out here on the West Coast.
My DS is at Dartmouth and he has to pass a swim test to graduate!
Unless there has been a recent change, it’s still the case for Columbia College students, although engineering students are exempt (supposedly because they can just build a boat. 
). Cornell and MIT are 2 others with the requirement still.
Back to the OP, nobody will care about a B in PE, and you do not need to explain.
Chicago dropped the requirement several years ago.
The article is from 2015. Was just pitiful g as a follow up to the Dart comment.
Why not handstands or pull-ups or rope climbs or run 1.5 miles in 12 minutes or juggle a soccer ball? Is it a safety test just in case you fall into a body of water? What’s the “magic” with swimming?
@skieurope Sorry, I thought our guide did say it was a recent change at Columbia, for all students. But I wouldn’t bet on me, because we were outside in the noisy quad and it was a huge tour group. I’m sure you’re right.
Yes, it was because it was considered an essential lifesaving skill.
Some countries require it in elementary school.
Lindagaf, thanks for the advice. Yeah I tried lot on ECs lol. I’m the president of 2 clubs (Quizbowl and Math), made USA Bio Olympiad semi-finals, USA Computing olympiad Gold. I also volunteer and am working as a data analyst. A lot of competitive kids here in the silicon valley seem to be doing similar stuff. I legit hope nobody denies me because of frickin PE.