<p>Hi. So this year I have some issues as a junior that are very unfavorable in my high school career. I have always been a straight A student until this year. I got a B first semester (in BC Calculus), and two B's this semester (BC Calc and IB Physics). Although I have good ec's to back me up, this really sucks because the AP kids at school frankly have it a lot easier than IB students do, in terms of breadth of material and teacher grading. It stinks that colleges won't be able to see that. And cheating is rampant at school, so rank and grades stink in general. I'm still in the top handful in my class, but this really bothers me. </p>
<p>I guess I'm ranting now. Any advice, consolations, commiserations are appreciated. Hurting a bit after looking at this semester's final grades...hopefully my time with chemistry this summer will lighten me up.</p>
<p>I’m pretty confident that admission officers will see IB classes as more competitive compared to AP classes. And a couple of Bs aren’t going to kill you. If you can truly show yourself that separates you from the other applicants in your essays, I pretty sure the grades won’t matter to the admission officers. And either way, it seems like your more competitive than me. Your taking Calculus BC during your Junior Year and IB Physics.
I have AP Physics and Calculus AB in my 3rd year of High School.</p>
<p>I’m sure you’ll be fine. You sound like you go to a really competitive school, so colleges will recognize that. My school is ridiculously huge, but I know kids who weren’t even top 10% that got into HYPS because they showed passion and dedication via their essays and EC’s. However, I do agree, the AP/IB division can be frustrating sometimes, but even our val is an IB kid who manages to juggle soooo many EC’s…I admire her for it 
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<p>As long as you don’t plan on majoring in physics, I think even the top colleges will be able to look past a few Bs. Hold your head up high! :)</p>
<p>All of the top students in my class (rising junior) cheat like there’s no tomorrow… The future valedictorian and salutatorian are twins and one of them is my best friends, while they’re still the smartest people I’ve ever met (17 APs, MVP of Academic bowl, etc.), they cheat like crazy, they don’t even need to, but they do… Everything from discussing tests to taking a picture of the answer key. It bugs the hell out of me, but they’re my friends, so yeah… I understand the feeling about the rampant cheating…</p>
<p>If AP’s in your school are easy, what does that say about your B in Calc?</p>
<p>^mind you, the OP is taking calc BC as a junior, which already puts them ahead of the curve. I would like to think getting a B in that class would be more impressive than, say, a senior making an A in Calc AB.</p>
<p>But yes, I do still have to wonder, why did you struggle with calc?</p>
<p>I am not saying, and did not mean to say that APs at my school are easy. I struggled with Calc not so much because of not understanding material, but not having enough time in my schedule to study concepts over and over again to reinforce for the test. Also, for two of the B’s I got, it was because the final screwed me over. Sucks, but I guess that’s how college will be, too.</p>