<p>I just finished my first semester of junior year. I'm taking 5 APs. I did well in all my AP courses (this semester) except for one - AP Calculus AB. For some reason I had a lot of difficulty getting good grades in that class, so I ended up with a C. I was really disappointed because I have really good grades in all my other AP classes. I have confidence that I can get an A next semester though. I've always dreamed of going to an Ivy League college, but I feel like this C will destroy my chances. Bottom line is - I'm freaking out! Can anyone offer any input on this??</p>
<p>Stop freaking out. Just work on it for next semester. Ivy League colleges consider a lot of things; overall GPA is one, but also how the quality of your courseload - (AB calculus in junior year is challenging), standardized tests, class rank, teacher recs, essay, extracurricular activities. A lot of valedictorians get rejected because the admissions office is looking for intelligent AND interesting people!</p>
<p>Any other inputs?</p>
<p>it's not gonna kill you. obviously it isn;t GREAT, but like muffy said, colleges look for people who are bright AND interesting.</p>
<p>I really don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm in AB too as a junior and while I did well first term, the class average was in the C range. As my teacher says, the only exam which matters is the AP exam. It is better to receive C grades in the class and 4 or 5 on the exam than A grades and a 2 on the exam. This is because it demonstrates that your course was more rigorous than the exam, and colleges will look favorably upon that. If the opposite occurs, where one does well in the class, but poorly on the exam, colleges will most likely be suspicious as to the rigors of your high school and/or your diligence as a student.</p>
<p>I know that I can increase my grade second semester. But do you guys think that I should retake the first semester of AP Calc AB next year, or do Ivies look down upon retakes of classes??</p>
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It is better to receive C grades in the class and 4 or 5 on the exam than A grades and a 2 on the exam.
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<p>Sorry, but that's just poor advice. First, many HS do not even offer AB, they offer Calc BC in one year, with AB comprising the first semester of the year. Thus, AB is not as rigorous over one year as is AB/BC. Second, the Ivies just don't like C's, unless there are extenuating circumstances, or your HS is one of the top nationally-ranked schools. (There are just too many kids who take AB and earn an A for them to pass up.) Third, high AP scores are only a 'plus' factor in admissions; the transcript is paramount. (A poor AP score just could have been a bad day -- "stuff" happens.) Fourth, the C drops your class rank, whereas an AP-5 means nothing wrt to the HS competition.....</p>
<p>OTOH, colleges love kids who face an academic challenge and rise to the occasion. Thus, rebounding with a strong GRADE spring semeser can really help.</p>
<p>So having 2 C's during your sophomore year and A's and B's (high B's) during your junior year is bad?</p>
<p>That's what I have and I want to apply to Columbia but I don't think I have the chance.</p>
<p>I dunno.. Ap Calc AB is a fundamental class and in my opinion may be the most important class that a top college would see. A C in ap calc can probably hurt you a lot. A class mate of mine got a C in cal AB, and really a C is gonna be really looked down upon.</p>
<p>Wow, so many intelligent people. I come from a school that don't have a lot of high level-AP classes (last time I checked, they had 1). Do colleges consider that when they look at GPA vs. courseload?</p>
<p>yes, colleges consider the courses available at YOUR school, and whether you took the most rigorous schedule offered at YOUR school.</p>
<p>movie-oc: you should assume that the unhooked kids who are accepted to the Ivies and Duke with Cs on their transcripts are rare.</p>
<p>to movie freak not that it will absolutely kill your application but most ivies accept students with gpas of 3.8+...so at 6 classes a year for freshman through junior year 2 c's already brings you down to a 3.78 and if you add b's to that it could drop significantly so though it wont be a killer it could be pretty instrumental in your college decision if there is no valid reason for the grades you received</p>
<p>in response to A-card: keep in mind, though, that the "fundamentality" (not a word lol) of calc depends on your major. I know someone who got low grades (I think a C) in calc AB but got into Brown and Harvard because she wants to study humanities. so, it will not be nearly as important if you are not going into engineering/science/math</p>