<p>I'm stressing out right now, because I might be getting two C's this semester. I'm taking a rigorous courseload, and two community college classes. I was naive and felt that I could handle 5 aps, but I was wrong. My GPA overall isn't that great, and I'm getting mostly B's with one or two A's. The reason I'm worried is because my gpa is so low, and these two Cs will severly hurt me during admissions..Can C's really hurt you that much? I'm barely getting any sleep due to my courses, and i'm really stressing out..</p>
<p>Slow down and breathe. Most of my friends are going through the same thing you are, so you're definately not alone. Remember that your first semester senior grades are just ONE PORTION of your transcript. Based on these grades alone, you will not be accepted or rejected by a college. Now, having said that, C's definately aren't glamorous. The first thing you should do is make <em>sure</em> that there is no way you can raise your grades. Next, study study study for the finals anyway - this will show your teachers that you're dedicated. If your finals still don't pull you up to the B range, try and talk to your teachers. Many teachers are often willing to "cut a deal" with seniors, such as "if you get a B average during the first 3 weeks of semester 2, I'll change your semester 1 grade." </p>
<p>Aside from that, see what changes you need to make for second semester. If you need to drop the college classes to survive, do that. College is fantastic, but you have to live through high school to get to it. Talk to your parents and counselors, and work out a schedule that really does work. Talk to your teachers about what you can do to improve your grades for the next semester. Participating in class often works wonders =) </p>
<p>In short, put things in perspective, and remember that these grades don't make up your life. I'd be willing to bet that the essays you wrote are more important, because they demonstrate more of who you are. When looking at two different application files, I doubt that adcoms will nitpick at the difference between a B and a C, but they'll definately notice who stands out on the essays. Good luck! (And get some sleep, please.)</p>
<p>haha thanks. I've been wondering something lately though. My gpa is pretty bad, a 3.5uw and 3.9w. But i had some bad experiences with some teachers junior year, and got my first C's ever. I had some family problems that year, like my sister getting arrested for drug possession and my parents' business wasn't faring that well. They couldn't afford to pay for help, so i had to often help them at the store they managed. They were also going through tough financial times, and often had to work 10+hours a day to pay off all the bills. I don't want to sound whiny, but all that took a toll on me and I was pretty stressed. However, I passed all my AP Exams with a 5,5,4,3,3. One 3 was from WH, which i self studied for the day before. I also have all A's in my ap classes. I didn't write about this in my college essay because I didn't want to sound desperate and whiny, but now I think i should have. I applied to some top schools, and I really want to be there but I think my GPA will severly hurt me. Am I screwed?</p>
<p>It can't hurt to write your schools & give them this info --- it might not help, but it won't hurt!</p>
<p>wouldn't it be too late now? I don't know though, I keep having having fears that they might think i'm desperate and using this as an excuse..</p>
<p>It can't hurt you. I used to work at a college & I handled admissions & financial aid letters & calls. I know that I welcomed any insight into a student's situation. While it didn't always change things, it NEVER hurt anything.</p>