So recently I just received my midterm reports that will be sent to the colleges I plan to apply to early. I have been a straight A student for all of my high school career, but this midterm I got a B+ in AP Bio. I would not normally be too worried but I have gotten a little anxious because I am doing an intended major of biology/pre-med and this would also be considered a downward trend in grades. I have a 2400 SAT, ranked high in the nation for debate, and was in a selective summer program at a top cancer hospital where I received a notable stipend. I also think I have great essays, and I have taken the hardest courseload at my school. So, imo, the rest of my app is solid. I plan on applying to an HYPMS school and am somewhat worried that this will affect my chances. Does anybody have advice to offer on the issue?
Why HYPMS? Those won’t make getting into Med School easier. Why Med School? It sounds as if you are totally focused on yourself. My advice is to step back and get some perspective. If a B+ causes your world to crumble, you’re in for an unhappy life.
Yeah, calm down. If you don’t get into HYPMS, it’s not because of your single B+.
@snarlatron no reason to be so nasty to the poster.
@thebossofbosses A single B+ won’t hurt your chances. AP bio is a notoriously hard class
Good luck
Snarlatron raises a valid point however. A B+ is nothing to freak out about. Expecting perfection and freaking out over a tiny drop in GPA suggests the OP is setting him:"/herself up for unrealistic expectations.
Sooner or later you WILL fail at something. If you become a resident and then a doctor you will misdiagnose someone. Or you will screw up somehow in life either in a minor or major way. You need to be able to cope with disappointment and expect less than perfection in yourself.
Also, unless you are poor enough for generous aid in undergrad or wealthy enough to afford HYPMS and then med school, consider less expensive schools for undergrad. Many many students with perfect GPAs and SAT scores go that route.
@KKmama Perhaps the OP is stressed because applying to college is a stressful process full of second guessing and anxious moments. No need to assume that just because the OP is worried about a single grade that he is going to crack when something doesn’t go his way.
I’m taking AP Bio as well this year, the course isn’t too difficult (And you seem much smarter, although I have an A+) so I expect you to have an A-A+ next semester.
My advice, in the most respectable of manners, get over it. Colleges most likely won’t care that your first B was in a college level class, especially given your aforementioned near flawless track record.
Will this affect your chances? I’m doubtful to the highest degree. As long as your essays are as great as you believe, and your background is reputable, you have just above the 5-11% chance that everyone has.
OP starts a thread titled “Freaking OUT” after receiving a B+, asking for advice.
OP got advice.
Have you ever thought of applying to BS/MD programs? Brown PLME is a very strong program, and based on your demonstrated interest and commitment to the field of medicine, along with your strong stats, could be a good option.
I’m in a similar boat rn, except I’m applying for engineering and my ECs and awards aren’t as prestigious. I’m planning on applying to a HYPMS school EA, and my AP Calc BC grade isn’t where it needs to be (let’s say a low B where my math is normally an A). I’ve kinda just resigned myself to the fact that whatever happened, happened, and that from here on out, whatever happens happens. However, while I can’t do anyhting to change how the B is viewed by admissions, I can change the context that it’s placed in. I’m just going to do all I can to get the grade up- and when it’s back up to an A, I’m going to send an optional midyear report just to show that it was a fluke and that I’ve worked hard to fix it. I’m also going to explain what happened if it comes up during my interview, but I don’t plan on going out of my way to explain the one B among a long list of A’s.
Sure, I’m freaking out a little on the inside, but I just keep reminding myself that one B isn’t going to majorly alter the course if my life. It isn’t the end of the world, as long as I work hard to fix my mistake/ shortcoming.
Now I’m certainly not an expert on what you should do in this exact situation, but hopefully my outlook/ plan helps! Even if you decide that the B+ is worth freaking out over, don’t forget to breathe. This time next year, you’ll probably be happily studying at some college somewhere with that one midterm a distant, if not forgotten memory.
Hey guys,
@snarlatron
@HiToWaMom
@nisteria100
@Nedcone
Thank you for all the replies.
To those that defended me, thank you.
To those that said I should get over it, thank you for the advice, but I do not fully appreciate the tone. Trust me, I have definitely experienced failure. Especially this past year, there are some things that were really disappointing or just bad on my part, and guess what, I got over it and matured because of it. Tbh the only reason I titled it “Freaking Out” was because I have made a decent amount of threads on here and noticed that you usually need something like that to actually get replies lol.
@rdeng2614
I have considered BS/MD and will apply to a few.
The only reason I am actually concerned with this is because I am declaring a bio major. If it in were in AP Lit, for example, I would not have been compelled to create this thread.
Trust me, I am much more calm about the whole thing than the original post may seem. However, I still do hold a degree of anxiety.
I really appreciate your reply. It was very well written and calming at the same time.
Try not to freak out. You need to reframe your thinking. A B+ at midterm may not be a B+ at the end of the semester, and your freak out will be for nothing. Even if it is at B+ at the end of the semester, Bs happen, it won’t kill you, you will survive it and be alive tomorrow, you won’t lose opportunities because of one or two Bs.
If you don’t get in, it won’t be due to the one B+. Once you are above the “Can the applicant do the work?” threshold of grades & scores, the other factors start to weigh a lot more heavily.
That won’t affect you at all, even if you get a B+ in the first semester. By the time you get your grades, you should have already received your EA and ED decisions, and they mostly only require no “C”'s or worse for the 12th grade.
I think OP’s question has merit. He/she wants a bio major, is applying to some HYPMS college, and has a B+ in AP Bio at midterm. But we don’t know why- if it’s a fluke based on a test or a real problem in the class.
Will your bio teacher be writing one of the LoRs? Any idea what strengths he/she might write about and if there is some understandable explanation for that grade (eg, a slip on one test, but you are really a brilliant performer and expected to easily bring this up to an A?) You might want to diplomatically speak with the teacher. And the GC, who might note this is unusual and offer some positive words. Do some triage. Nicely.
She actually is writing one of my letter of recommendations. The class has been set up so that we have only had one test so far and I got an 83. There have been other smaller grades where I have lost one or two points here or there as well. I am going to try to speak with the teacher. I am somewhat doubtful that I will get my grade up, but do you think it would be a good idea if that doesn’t work out that I ask her to address the grade in the LoR such as saying he has been working very hard to recover from his poor grade on the one test?
I really don’t think you would want the person who is writing one of your recs to waste precious space pointing out that you got an 83 on one test. Hopefully she has other, bigger picture things to say about you - or if not, maybe you should ask a teacher who knows you well.
Please do not speak with her about the grade. That’s singularly one of the most annoying things ever that students do. She’s not a vehicle for you to maintain your GPA. She’s there to teach you.
You have great achievements to date. A single B+ won’t mar that. However, your coming across like a grade-grubber can really rub people wrongly, including this LOR writer.
If your use of “freaking out” is how you present your situation despite your likely being one of your high school’s top students in years – you may need to get some honest feedback on how you come across. The LOR writer might be the right person to tell you this.
If you’re applying to top schools, a simple litmus test readers use: “How would I like this person as my roommate?” Your goal should be to pass this simple test – do you see how your “freak out”-over-a-single B+ perspective might have you fail that test and have your application readers rolling their eyes??
You can speak to your teacher about how YOU can study more effectively so you will do better in the class. But grade grubbing is unattractive. Teachers really hope their students genuinely want to learn the material. I think the best LORs go to those students.