Getting a C in IB Math HL

I am currently taking IB Math HL as a Junior, which is one of the hardest courses my school has to offer. I am struggling to get a B in the course and I am worried that my final average towards the end of the year might ruin my chances of admission into one of my desired schools. I knew what I was in for when I decided to take the course. Everyone in my school who took the course said it was absolute hell and warned me too lol. Will admission officers look at my C in IB Math HL while also keeping in mind the rigor of the course? Will it even make a difference? If all my other grades were high A’s and my GPA was still high with the C, will it still affect my admissions into a school? (And yes I regret taking this course). Plz help

Can you drop down to SL? Even though my D got A’s in Honors Math in 9th and 10th grade, she is taking SL Math because we heard the same thing: HL Math moves at breakneck speed and is known to be by far the most difficult IB course. My D is in HL Physics which is apparently easier than HL Math. For what it’s worth, I think it would be much better to get an A in SL Math rather than a C in HL Math. It is not going to make a big difference for college admissions. I saw this first-hand in the last two years college acceptances in my D’s school. The students who takes 3 HL classes versus the students who takes 4 HL classes – get admitted to top schools at the same rates. In fact, one student last year who took 4 HL classes, including HL Math, had a high GPA, scored a 35 on the ACT, and was the one National Merit Scholar in our school – she got rejected everywhere and was left with Drexel as her only choice. Others in the same class with fewer HLs and less impressive awards ended up at Yale, Emory, and Pomona. So, the moral of the story is that it’s better to leave time to develop your interests and passions instead of needlessly struggling though HL Math. I recommend you talk to your college counselor as he or she will likely tell you the same thing. Best of luck!

It’s probably not a good sign that you are struggling so early in the first part of a two year series. I would try to drop down. If you are doing the IBD, it also means that you’ll need another HL.

If this isn’t possible, try to get help now. A tutor, meeting with the teacher, etc.

And to your question, no, it’s not going to be great to have a C on your transcript. But it doesn’t mean you won’t have good college options. And fwiw, while you probably don’t want to hear this, this is truly a great learning experience in terms of how to approach learning that is genuinely challenging as well as how to balance your course load so that you have the bandwidth for the challenge. Just be sure that the time you need to invest in math doesn’t detract from your other classes. (Some experience with this!)