Semester 2 is about to end and there’s a 97% chance I may end with an A- in Honors Biology. Honors Biology was during 6th period and I often missed it due to Softball, Science Competitions, and School Board duties.
Semester 1 was all fine and dandy, though (all As.) Will this severely affect me in future college admissions to selective schools like M.I.T., Caltech, Berkeley?
It’s not that serious. It looks like youre going to get an A anyway.
At first I though this was a t r o l l post.
On a more serious note: An A is an A. I do not know how getting an A- instead of an A will affect you severely, if at all.
This is not a troll post… My mom is so mad at me. She literally threw up right after I told her and took a nap.
My dad doesn’t know yet, but when he does, I can kiss all my fun research activities, bye, bye… As well as future AP classes, school dances, parties, etc…
^It’s really not that serious.
At least your parents care about your grades though.
No
Honestly, don’t sweat it. I am sure there will be harder classes within the next few years that will worry you much more. Just understand that grades are not everything in college admissions.
I think this might really depress both of them since their only dream career path for me was general practitioner; they speak ill of all engineering and math interests I may have. I sort of am scared; I have dreams for doing research in AI and bioengineering and I’m praying this won’t ruin me for future admissions…
@shawnspencer I appreciate your spiritual consultation.
You can do that at all kinds of schools. Who knows how competitive admissions will be in 2.5 years? Worry about doing the best you can now, not about what future people will think of your future grades for future admissions.
@HopefulStud I feel as though I can almost guarantee you that this one grade for freshman year will not be the sole deciding factor between whether you get accepted or rejected into any school in about three years from now.
As you go through high school you’ll later realize how minor of a role this grade will play in your career. Do you have a sincere interest in bioengineering? Are you willing to put forward the work and effort to pursue this interest? I think that matters a lot more I don’t know how much any of these posts will help you but honestly, grades aren’t everything. It might take awhile to realize his but just hold on to that thought as you go through high school.
Relax! I know that I sometimes feel the same as you (oh no, it’s an A-, the horror!), but as you go on through life you’ll see how laughable it actually is. An A- is as good as an A, and in most schools, it counts as such. A is supposed to be far beyond average. You should be commended on your excellent grades. And remember, grades aren’t everything. Colleges look at you, not your transcript. Try your hardest with your grades, though - they are important. Your grades are very good and one “slip-up” 
like this won’t affect your chances. An A- is something to be proud about! But don’t forget, the most important thing is to do something real with your brilliant mind. A+s or A-s don’t define you. 
This thread is the reason people hate College Confidential
@jackrabbit14
Thanks a lot, man. How am I supposed to know whether or not the A- will severely hurt me or not?? No one in my close community or in my situation (I don’t know anyone in my close community who has done a lot of ECs…) has gone to any of the listed colleges and they all had 4.0s… I know one guy who got into Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and Princeton this year (we were both school board members, so we often met at the state board level), but he was cool, confident, bright, etc…
I honestly try not to dream of anything too far-fetched, but I can’t help it after watching hours of MIT and Stanford OCW.
I literally laughed reading this. Please don’t worry about this! It’s an A- its still an excellent grade and trust me that - will not make the difference in admissions in three years. How are you supposed to know? Think like an admissions officer. Would a person with an A- one semester of their freshman year of high school in an honors course really deter me from admitting that person when there are SO SO SO many other factors like ECs, essays, test scores, that can tell me so much more about them that whether an A has a - sign next to it. It’s an A regardless, and it won’t make the difference. Breath easy, and just focus on continuing to get the great grades you’ve been getting and don’t let up.
If A-s actually mattered, nobody from my high school would ever get admitted into selective colleges, yet we send 50 people to Ivies and Ivy-equivalents every year. It doesn’t matter. Chill.
People with 3.5 GPAs get into MIT, and people with 4.0s are denied.