<p>So this is first year I'm in honors/AP math, so I knew I'd have a bit of trouble. My 2nd quarter grade was a B-, up from a C first quarter, but our transcripts only show semester grades (C+). On one hand, I feel like sending a letter (read: excuse?) will attract attention to the grade that is unnecessary. On the other hand, they might think I'm slacking off. But if I was, all of my other grades would go down as well, right? All of my other grades are fine. </p>
<p>Here's the list for core classes:</p>
<p>9th: B+, A-, B+, B+, B+ (B+ is Adv. Geometry)
10th: A-, B, B, B, A (B is Adv. Algebra 2)
11th: B+, B, B, B+, B+ (B is Adv. Precalc)
12th: (tentative): A-, B+, B+, B, A, C+ ( C+ is AP Calc AB)</p>
<p>Schools applied to that I'm still waiting to hear from (not asking for chances)
Wash U. St. Louis
Carnegie Mellon
University of Rochester
Boston University
University of Michigan
Cornell University </p>
<p>Edit: Oh, and I'm majoring in engineering, so calc is pretty important.</p>
<p>I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't send anything so as not to attract unnecessary attention, but what's the general consensus?</p>
<p>Yeah I don't know how transcripts work, I'm hearing they are just to show semester grades.</p>
<p>Well in class I found out I got an A in Honors World Literature ( for both marking periods), but then she goes on to say for the semester I got a B+.... so I'm wondering what will universities see.</p>
<p>i mean, if you want to major in engineering at Cornell/CMU? you better have a damn good excuse to be getting a C in Calc in your senior year. i would definitely write a letter. especially since it appears you've shown a track record of not being so hot in math.</p>
<p>i was kind of in a similar predicament. i got a C in math my junior year, but i pulled myself together and got a 4 on the AP and i have an A in Calc BC now for 1st semester. unfortunately for you, you don't really have a chance to show an upward trend, so you will pretty much need to write a letter showing that getting Cs will not be characteristic of you when you go to a higher level of learning.</p>
<p>not sending anything will be worse. you think they won't notice? they'll probably be surprised that you didn't even bother trying to explain it and they will toss your app to the side.</p>
<p>You have a point, but it's well known in our area that our advanced classes are at least as, if not more, challenging as honors math at any other school in the vicinity. Our honors math courses are quite tough. And Cornell is at the top of the ladder. Regarding the last part of your response, why would they toss my app to the side if they didn't see an excuse? I mean, I know a C+ isn't great, but colleges do know AP Calc is a hard class. Doesn't it count for something that I didn't drop the course?</p>
<p>sorry, i didn't mean to say it like that. they won't "toss your application to the side" or anything. </p>
<p>but when an Ivy League school sees a C on a transcript, it will ALWAYS raise a red flag. you have to realize that most of their applicants have all As, with maybe a few Bs sprinkled in. especially when you are applying to the School of Engineering. and yeah, AP Calc is a hard class. but in my AP Calc class, there were kids who aced everything and were able to maintain an A average. more often than not, those are the types of kids Cornell CoE accepts, not the ones who were struggling to stay above water. </p>
<p>honestly though, looking at your grades, a student that gets Bs in Geometry-Precalc will probably be expected to get a C in Calc AB. it definitely appears that math is somewhat of a weakness for you. looking at it now, writing a letter probably won't change that perception. i don't see how a well-written letter can HURT though. if you're too lazy or whatever to write a letter, at the end of the day it's your decision. ..but you better hope the rest of your app is damn good.</p>
<p>Are you sure you should go into engineering, which is heavily dependent upon mathematics (particularly calculus), when your math grades are weak? How conducive could this weakness be to your success as a rising engineer?</p>
<p>I am actually very strong in math, and it is my favorite core subject overall. Our school's curriculum doesn't really click with me, if you know what I mean. I got a 80 Math PSAT / 740 Math SAT. When I understand material, I'm a beast. The math teachers I have just don't help me understand it all that well. I just picked up some AP books to study from, because honestly, I'm getting a little ticked off with how things are turning out. My counselor isn't against me majoring in engineering at all, and she doesn't think my grades are anything to worry about <em>shrugs</em>. She has been very supportive of my endeavors and is confident in my ability. And by the way, once again, I really don't think I'll get into Cornell, nor do I particularly want to. My top schools right now are Rochester/CMU/Wash U (Legacy).</p>
<p>concur with hmom. Unless you have a great excuse (family situation or some such) a letter will be of little value. </p>
<p>Calc AB over one year of HS, is only half of traditional Calc BC. And, as others have pointed out, Engineering is all math all the time. Cornell Eng will expect to see a 700+ score on Math 2. Your uw gpa is low for Cornell & Michigan, unless you are instate for the latter.</p>
<p>WashU is USNews rank-happy, i.e., test scores in particular. Most colleges only boost legacies during ED; it is usually of little value during RD (since they knew you liked someone else better). </p>
<p>sigh same here just got an C in ap calc BC
senioritis...senioritis...senioritis...><, im hoping our schools' mid year reports, coming out this friday (i think) wouldn't get to the private schools in time to hurt me(cmu, cornell, duke), but thats just wishful thinking on my part hahha.</p>
<p>Also concur with hmom...unless you can come up with a valid reason in your letter, you're better off not to send. One thing you might keep in mind for the future, be sure to start at a low calculus level when you go to college. Don't jump into 2nd semester college calculus, which is one tough class!</p>
<p>well, as for your original question: i agree with the parents' opinions. at first, i thought that sending a letter would be a good idea, but without a good reason, it just makes it seem like you're making excuses.</p>
<p>also...</p>
<p>"You have a point, but it's well known in our area that our advanced classes are at least as, if not more, challenging as honors math at any other school in the vicinity. Our honors math courses are quite tough"</p>
<p>something to think about: you're not only going against the students in your vicinity. you're up against the students in the whole world. those are some top-notch institutions you're applying to, and although you may like math (and though it is apparently highly regarded in your area), you may want to go with your strengths when picking your major. for example, from my school alone (and we're not even one of the crazy private schools...haha), my 800 SAT I math, 800 math 2, and my 5 on BC doesnt really stand out...so imagine how much competition is out there in the world.</p>
<p>I'm going to differ a little with some of the others. The fact that your PSAT and SAT test scores in Math are really good, I think you have a chance to make a compelling case that there are other factors involved with your classes whereby your grades are negatively skewed as a representation of your actual ability. Don't get me wrong, it might still be a bit of a stretch, but if your school or teachers employ a system intentionally designed to deflate grades, ad coms are interested in knowing this. They will want something to help them reconcile your high SAT scores with your class performance. If you can logically bridge the gap in their understanding it could help you. It depends on what your letter says and how well you are doing compared with your peers in the same system. If there are a lot of students there outperforming you, well, there's probably not a good case to be made. However, if you are at or near the top of your class, even with your current grades, that's something you can put into context for the ad coms, which might help -- especially if the rest of your application is strong. </p>
<p>That said, based on the other grades you outlined above, I agree they might be skeptical. Even so, helping them understand your academic environment, if it is especially rigorous, for example, won't hurt you, and might possibly help. Nonetheless, I hope you do have some safety schools in the mix just in case. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight. I'm already into Pitt and Drexel, so I have some safeties secured. When people say to go with my strengths, I really don't know how to respond. I mean, I couldn't explicitly tell you my strengths. None of my strengths are directly related to core classes. I always get A's in engineering and business classes that I'm interested in, but not so much in core subjects. I guess what I'm saying is that it's hard to apply interests and know strengths in high school beyond core classes.</p>