<p>so i just read the thread on an upward trend, but i have the exact opposite. i know it's probably really horrible but i was wondering how badly does it really affect my chances for admissions at say UC's and maybe some more competitive colleges? freshman and soph year i had 4.0's with really challenging courseloads and come junior year, i got two Bs first semester (both in AP classes) and 2nd semester i got 4 B's (2 in AP's, 1 in honors class). exactly how terrible will this look to college admissions officers? does it bring down my chances?</p>
<p>Like someone on the other thread said
AAA > CBA > ABC > CCC
Nothing else to it</p>
<p>You know, I don't think they'll be looking at the trend as much as they would be an upward trend.
Part of the reason is, I think they'll understand that the rigor of your coursework increases as you start taking AP classes, and that you might not be able to live up to the standard. Since AP is on a new level, a B on it might be considered similarly as an A in a honors course.
For your chances, I don't think the trend will affect you, but objectively, your GPA will fall because of those B's, and that's where it will hurt you.</p>
<p>If anything, a downward trend is more noticeable than an upward trend. That's just my opinion though.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the "what's better, A in an easier class or B in a harder class?" has the same answer at every competitive/top college: An A in the harder class.</p>
<p>That said, the more important thing here is how your grades affected your class rank. If your class rank was hurt by the downward trend, then it will definitely bring down your chances.</p>
<p>you said you got 4 bs ( 2 in ap's and 1 in honors) does that mean that you got another B in regular?</p>
<p>well, it would bring down your chances from the straight A status. However, colleges will understand about the rigor of the courseload affecting your grades. However, you can't really change anything, can you? I would stop worrying about it and just work on those things that you can change</p>
<p>try and make sure that the rigor of the classes is difficult. did your class rank slip that much? it's another thing if everyone else managed to keep As but I doubt it's the case... you should be OK, just try reeeeaaalllllyyy hard in this year's classes</p>
<p>bumpbump..</p>
<p>I think without context, a slight drop like that would raise some questions because course load will only get harder and the transcript is used to predict possible grades in college. However, getting more Bs because of more AP/honors courses is understandable, and dare I say natural for a lot of people. If there was some other reason or hardship, consider how to communicate this to colleges.</p>
<p>As someone already pointed out, there's really not much you can do at this point and it there are worse situations than too many Bs. There's no mid-year report for UCs, so your first senior semester grades won't be particularly helpful. That basically leaves ECs, SAT, and essays to work on until Nov.</p>
<p>That is why it's important to plan your schedule carefully, especially for 11th grade. I know lots of kids like to load up on APs because of the extra point given but it does pull down the UW GPA if you get lots of Bs on AP. It's a tight rope to balance.
Another college book that I've read, it states the answer to the question people usually ask " is it better to get A in regular course or B in AP and the adcoms usual replies are A in APs" is to take regular course and get A. This book counselor said you are guaranteed to get into some colleges if you get A in a regular course.</p>
<p>just a little more information, when talking about hte UC system, there's a limit to the amount APs and Hs htat actually are weighted.</p>
<p>I think UC GPA only counts 8 semesters of AP and honors. However, on the CDS they listed the weighted GPA.</p>