Five Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
1

Five Questions. Some my own. Others I heard but found no real answer too. Thanks :slight_smile:

  1. Is it better to get a B in an AP or A in a Regular? (Please don't be that smart alec who says A in an AP)
  2. How bad is it to have a strong downward trend first semester of Sophmore Year?
  3. I know it's kind of a coincidence from another post from very recently, but I was diagnosed with ADHD literally like 4 days ago. Would saying that it was unmedicated before X semester (which it was) explain my lower grades for X semester?
  4. Can meditation or coin collecting be a hook?
  5. Does it help if one gets a B in one semester of an AP exam but a 5 on the AP exam?

Thank you so much!

2
  1. B in an AP
  2. Downward trends are never good
  3. Yes -- if you have a third party person (like your guidance counselor) explain, perhaps
  4. It can be your own hook -- sure.
  5. Yes, sure
3
  1. Not at all. A hook is a “gotta have” attribute. What you have are normal hobbies.
  2. Unless it was an AP you already took, your senior year AP results come in too late for college evaluations
4
  1. A in regular
5
  1. Depends on the school. Large public, A in regular. Selective private, B in AP.
  2. One semester is not a trend. It's a sample. Maybe rephrase your question.
  3. Can't hurt. Has to be substantiated.
  4. LOL. No. Absolutley not.
  5. Of course.
6

Thank you.

Just for clarification was it understood that I mean AP Class instead of exam for the first time I put exam for question 5?

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Yeah we understood it I didn’t even notice u put exam for both

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  1. If it's not related to your intended major definitely A in regular. If it is related to your major you really should get an A/A- in Ap or your chance of admission is minimal
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Last thing: Is donating a kidney a hook?

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@ChapStick123 a hook is more what you use to frame yourself. it could be art, policy, music, etc.-- not something admissions officers necessarily see as heroic or moving like donating a kidney (even if the thing itself is in actuality heroic or moving).

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  1. I agree with a previous poster that if the course has to do with your major, it is better to have an A/A- in an AP class. However, I think that a B in an AP class can show that you are still passionate about the subject and are willing to challenge yourself in a subject that you are good at, especially if your school offers the AP class. It's not exactly great to see a student who gets all As in regular classes, without taking any of the AP classes that their school offers. (I've heard admission officers say it has something to do with a lack of motivation/perseverance to try something you may not succeed in. Overall, colleges like to see that you are willing to challenge yourself, and are willing to work for something that you may find harder.) As Michigan looks at applications from a holistic perspective, I don't think one bad grade will completely ruin you chances if your test scores and essays are above par. [I got into UM as an EA applicant, with two Bs in AP classes, which didn't really have to do with my majors of interest. However, I also had As in the remaining 4 AP courses (through junior year) and I'm currently taking another 5 AP courses during senior year. As it stands, I've taken nearly all the AP classes offered at my school and I've scored well in all my AP exams thus far. However, I may be an exception to the rule, as my test scores were better.]
  2. Downward trends are not good, as stated. However, if you managed to pull it back up, it shows that there was some change in the way you approached your grades. Maybe choose a teacher recommendation that you know can speck on behalf of how you stopped the trend?
  3. Perhaps if one of your rec letters mention it or a third-party, as a previous poster said
  4. Yes, to all three. Some might disagree with me, but I think that a good writer can take a hook from anything. However, it should be something meaningful and/or unique to you; something that defines you, in a manner of speaking, while also tying in with the rest of your essay. If donating a kidney inspired you to pursue a medical career, motivated you to give back to the community or pushed you to spread awareness for a disease/condition, etc., go for it. Maybe coin collecting lead you to search strenuously, and after finding a certain coin that eluded, it's now one of your most prized possessions. Perhaps meditating pushed you to be more adventurous and try new things you may not necessarily like or maybe you're interested in joining a meditation club at UM. Whatever it is, it should "frame" you and the rest of your application, while still remaining unique and defining you. Own your stories and don't try to impress the admission office with something untrue. (They can usually see through that, so just be honest.) My hook for my Common App essay was about be being the child of immigrants, and how that impacted me growing up, as I felt like an outsider in two cultures. (Honestly, I feel like many students across the US also are the children of immigrants, so the first bit wasn't exactly unique.) I focused on the emotions and details that pertained specifically to me, to set myself apart from other essays with a similar topic. My essay progressed focusing on how being a child of immigrants motivated me to get involved with an organization that I've won awards through and now volunteer for that relates to both cultures, and how I was able to tie my two cultures together, despite originally feeling alienated by both (which I think is unique).
  5. UM won't see your test scores until after you are accepted, when you see what classes you can receive credits for. When the admissions office looks at your application, they will see the B on your transcript, without a score.

Hope that helps!

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@smk2017 Thanks!!! For the last one I mean that it has been already taken,junior year or before .

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Admissions will see your ap scores self reported on common app