I’m a high school senior and I signed up to take AP Calc AB this year at my high school. I took it first semester and barely passed with a C, and I was very scared that I wouldn’t be able to pass with a C again this semester. I’ve never failed a class before and I know that failing a senior year class looks really bad for colleges. I decided this semester to drop the course, because I didn’t want to risk failing this semester, and instead I am taking the second semester of the class at a community college. My question is do I still have to let colleges know about this, even though I am still taking the class, just not at my high school? In my college applications, I put that AP calc is an in progress and planned course, and it still is because I am still taking it just somewhere else. I don’t want to have to let all my colleges know if it’s not a big deal. Please let me know your thoughts and what I should do!!
Yes
Will there be a W on your transcript?
You could just say that you decided to withdraw from the course since you did not like the teacher’s style so you decided to take it at a community college instead.
In your current course, wouldn’t you be taking the full Calc AB in one semester at the community college?
Hi, no there won’t be a W on my transcript. The calc class just won’t show up on my second semester transcript grades, so it would be like I wasn’t enrolled in the class for the second semester. I am planning to add my grade from the community college course though to my high school transcript, so it will show that I still took the class just at the community college.
The community college is also on semesters, and since I already passed the first semester at my high school, I would just be learning the second semester content at the community college.
Calculus AB is usually the equivalent of one semester of calculus. When you started it at the community college, you will be completing the equivalent of Calculus AB in one semester.
If Calculus AB won’t be listed on your high school transcript, you may not need to mention it. How would you add the community college course to your high school transcript? Wouldn’t you just submit the college transcript after the semester finishes?
yes, I will be submitting the transcript to my colleges once I finish. My school lets us take outside classes at other institutions for high school credit. The community college class I am taking would be for high school credit. So, once I finish, I will send the transcript to my high school and they will put it on my transcript. It will show that I took one semester of calc ab at my high school and then it will say that the other semester was taken at the community college.
Any change to courses that you reported as “in progress” or “planned” needs to be reported to any college where you have an open application, so that the change can be considered in the admission decision.
For colleges that have already given admission decisions (EA or early rolling), the change needs to be reported, but you should have asked before making the change whether it was ok with them. A change can result in reconsideration or rescission of admission.
Colleges do not like surprises on the final high school transcripts. Note that you will have to send the community college transcript along with your final high school transcript to the college you matriculate to.