In my first semester of my junior year I got a C in Calc BC. How bad is this regarding college applications? The math classes in my school are good enough to get 5s on the AP Exam. My other grades aren’t stellar, but I am hoping to get into a good enough college. My SAT score is 1490 and ACT score is 33. I am looking to get into the University of Michigan engineering program. I have taken a total of 5 AP classes so far and have gotten mostly As and a few Bs. This second semester I am on target to get all As. I have a lot of extracurriculars and have done a school sport for three years.
Are you instate for Michigan? Were you able to get the second semester grade up? It’s possible a 5 on the AP test will make up for the grade if your second semester showed a lot of improvement. Obviously math matters for engineering programs and Michigan is very competitive. Have you taken the SAT math II subject test? That may be another way to show more math proficiency.
Yes I am instate to Michigan. I am working on getting my second semester grade up and it looks like it will be an A. I have taken practice exams for the test and I have been consistently getting 5s. I have taken the SAT twice but haven’t taken any subject tests. I have been looking at some college websites and they say that an SAT subject test isn’t necessary.
If you can get your grade up to an A and then get a 5 on the AP, you should be OK. If that grade or the AP test are lower than you expect, taking the subject test maybe worth while just to prove you know the material. You should be competitive since you are in state.
Why are you taking Calc BC as a junior? that is early to take that class…were you prepared?
My kid got a C in Calc AB in the first semester but worked to an A in second semester in junior year. She attends a top 20 college now. It’s about overall presentation of an application. A bad grade here and there won’t exclude you from attending a good college.
@bopper… Lots of schools /students have programs that Calc bc is the norm for junior year. My son did it and took multivariate Calc (3) his senior year. But this shows rigor and that he is an advanced math student. @nk1421 This is good for engineering. Even getting an b in an advanced math class in junior year is not the end of the world. Getting an A this last semester shows you figured it out and worked hard. Congrats to you.
Michigan’s admissions process is holistic, so in principle, a C should not be irreparable. However, the CoE is one of the most selective programs in the nation. A C in Calculus would likely be damaging. If he can get an A the second semester and a 5 on the AP exam itself, he should be fine. Otherwise, I would apply to LSA and switch to the CoE once at the university.
I got a C in calc BC junior year. I moved to an A second semester, and am an incoming comp sci student in LSA. I am instate, u should be fine- consider applying LSA instead of COE
Taking the SAT subject test in math (even level 2) won’t help with proving calculus proficiency because it doesn’t include calculus - it only goes through pre-calc. Taking the AP test is a better choice. If you are taking Calc 3 in senior year (which many schools don’t even offer - ours doesn’t) and get an A first semester then that will help as well. If you finish the year with a B final grade you will probably be okay if you show the upward trend.
Subject tests aren’t required for most state schools, but they do help if you are going into a very competitive major (such as engineering or business at MI) - assuming you get great scores. They show initiative as well. My son took them and sent them to all his schools regardless of whether or not they were required (once he saw how well he did, of course). Most of the top 20 universities require at least two of them, so make sure you research each school individually before making the final decision about whether or not to take them. I saw an acceptance video that a high school senior posted on Youtube once (one of the ones where the student videos all his decision reactions) and he was very confused when he was denied at a particular school which told him that he didn’t complete his application. Later in the video there was a comment that he didn’t take and submit any subject tests as required).