<p>I'm recently faced with a major dilemma... I was wondering if I could ask the people here for some advice... I signed up for two science ap courses this year(ap bio and ap chem). I'm getting very bad grades in both of them, around B- range, although teacher says that that could change since the labs haven't been figured into the score. So I was thinking that I should drop one of them, preferably, ap chem except I'm afraid of getting a "withdrawal", the fat "W" on my transcript. So here's my question: first of all, just to give ya some background, I'm a student shooting for ivy schools(although that's pratically like everyone here:), and my combined gpa for both freshman and sophomore was 4.13 unw and 5.04 weighted. I'm currently taking three ap courses right now(including chem) and I'm deciding what it would be better to do... I'm pretty certain that if I drop chem, I could raise my score in bio and pratically in all the other classes(chem did that too me lol) but I'm afraid colleges will see that as not taking enough "challenging courses"? I go to a small local, but VERY competitve high school. Two years ago about 30 students got into ivies, including 11, who got into Harvard. So I guess what I'm asking is, is it better to take less ap courses and get better grades than it is to take many ap courses and get less "stellar" grades? Seriously, is there a direct correlation between how many ap one takes and what kind of school one gets into? I thank you in advance for all your advice and help! :)</p>
<p>Ummm, ok? B- is very bad? I would just stick with those courses if I were you, even though two AP sciences are a killer, but since you are taking three APs altogether it shouldn't be that bad. I'm sure these colleges would look down on you more for dropping a course just because you're scared of getting a B- instead of just taking a B-.
For the record, it's not over till it's over, so just hang in there. You don't know if you really have a B-. For all you know, it could be higher.</p>
<p>K B- is not "very bad". Those labs could bring you back up to a B/B+ range and then some good grades on tests or some EC could bring you back to an A.</p>
<p>Drop if you want tho it'll probably give me better chances of going to an Ivy =]</p>
<p>It's only the beginning of the year. Work very hard on tests and do good on midterms. That's how I brought up my AP chem grade. Stay in it. It's not worth having the Withdrawal on your transcript. And B- isn't bad a start, I've had worse in junior year, and I raised it up. Definitely possible, and once you get used to it, the classes get better.</p>
<p>Good god almighty! You are complaining about a B- in AP Chem and AP Bio? I am taking AP USH, AP ENG LANG/COMP, PHIL121, and German 2 and got a B- in my AP USH course. I felt pretty damn good about that grade, considering how hard I worked for it.</p>
<p>You are working hard and taking difficult classes; B's are okay!!! (This is coming from someone who is 1st in his class too.)</p>
<p>I certainly don't feel bad about my first B- in my junior year right now, and you shouldn't either!!! Congratulate yourself for a job well-done!!!</p>
<p>^Thanks guys, but I've decided to drop AP Chemistry. I'm self studying AP Environmental Science instead(isn't it very much compatible with ap biology?)</p>