I’m a senior and it’s looking like I’m going to fail AP Calculus BC, I’ve taken 5 years of math already so it won’t ruin my A-G completion for UC’s, but I’m afraid I will get rejected from every college for having a D on my transcript( my first D/failed ever) If I were to take intro calculus at my local community college and let the colleges I’m applying know the situation, do you think that would look better and I still might have a chance?
UCs do not look at 12th grade grades unless you’ve been accepted. However, you will need to explain the circumstances on why you got the D, but that won’t be until towards the end of senior year. You can always take the Calc class again in college regardless, even if you got an A and got a 5 on the BC year.
This won’t be the case with most other schools, where most likely they will ask for your first semester grades. What you could possibly do, and possibly get away with, is to ask your counselor not to send in the grades. Whether that will help or hurt, I don’t know, but the worst thing that can happen is that the school(s) will simply remind you to send in the transcript. If you stall long enough, perhaps a decision will be made already. Note that this is not advice from me, just merely a possible option.
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/after-you-apply/index.html says:
Note that if you do not inform them of a D or F grade until they see it on your final high school transcript next summer, it is likely that your admission will be rescinded, since a typical UC admission offer is conditional on maintaining a high enough GPA in senior year courses that you have previously indicated that you are taking, with no D or F grades.
I would say notify the UC’s only after your deficient grade is CONFIRMED, and by that I mean that the final grades are posted on your transcript. Meanwhile, try your best to bring that grade up as much as you can. Maybe keep screenshots of the percentage if it is towards the higher side, (65 up since it is still higher than a 60, which is usually assumed to be when a school sees a D). Also, explain the grade AFTER it is posted, and say what you plan to do to make up for it and WHEN. Make sure you have an actual plan and not just like “hey so I’ll make up for this but I don’t know where or when or how.” Sound like you have yourself together to the school, and they might be more understanding.
^ is partially not good advice. If you’ve done your best and still end up with a D, do not notify the UCs until you’ve been accepted. The reason is, grades can change even after it has been posted, for any number of reasons. For example, at my kid’s HS, a grade will be changed to an A- in AP Bio/Chem/Physics if the person got a 5 and their grade was not an A. A student successfully appealed to the principal to get a grade changed because he was unfairly given a 0 on a huge group project in which one of the other members plagiarized his part of the paper.
Thank you all for the advice!
Have you identified the reasons WHY you are doing poorly in Calc BC? Are you not understanding the concepts, not able to apply them, not able to work fast enough? Would a tutor help? If a tutor is unavailable or unaffordable, try Khan Academy or go on youtube and type in the name of the concept(s) that are causing you difficulty. Many math teachers have youtube channels and it may be that a slightly different approach from a different teacher can help. Good luck!
Unless you are thinking of a STEM field, do not take Calc at you local CC. I agree with @mamaedefamilia. Why are you failing? If you are hoping to major in eng, math or some hard science, it is important to resolve this now. Even if the answer is as simple as a lousy teacher. good luck