I got one B in my second semester of junior year in an AP English class. I know colleges want to see an upward trend in grades, so I was wondering if this will hurt my chances at being accepted to a top 20 school or if I should focus more on other parts of my application.
One B in an otherwise strong record is no concern.
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Top 20 schools have very low admission rates and they use a holistic admissions process. If you don’t get in, it won’t be because of that single B.
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No. 
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One B grade? Agree, these tippy top schools might admit you and they might not. If they don’t, it’s not because of one B grade.
I am sure hoping you have an application list that includes other options than top 20 schools. But if that is your goal…this one B won’t make or break you.
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The question I ask is not about the B. Are you challenging yourself with the classes you are taking and was it a higher rigor course? Getting a few bs is not a huge deal but challenging yourself with rigor and doing well is.
I would not worry about it either.
On the one hand assuming that you do not have a working time machine it is done and past. Also, even the top universities do not seem to expect students to be perfect in every possible way. Instead the top ranked universities are looking for very strong students who are exceptional in their own way. Your way might be different from my way, and that is okay.
Also, I know many people, including myself, who got into top ranked schools with a few B’s here and there. I do not know if I ever got anything better than a B in English (for a full semester), and I still attended MIT for my bachelor’s.
Make sure that you also apply to at least one and preferably two solid safeties, look for universities that are a good fit for you, do as well as you reasonably can, and you will be fine.
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You guys are too worried about perfection. The world isn’t perfect. So you don’t need to be either.
Find a great school for you, ‘top 20’ or otherwise.
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You should focus on finding schools that are good fits your your personality, major, and career goals that are not as selective and are affordable.
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But I do think to answer OP’s question, one B or six don’t necessarily disqualify them from a top school just as straight As doesn’t guarantee an acceptance at a top one.
But they can still be in the running. But yes 100% agree with your thoughts on school selection.
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I think the transcript sent from your high school will show end of year grades for junior year. Your first and second semesters would be averaged.
A report card showing each quarter is not usually sent. Check with the guidance counselor.
That depends on how the HS chooses to format its transcript. Some high schools just show year end grades and others show all marking period/final exam scores. Agree that the guidance counselor would know.
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At some, semester grades are the grade of record. There is no such thing as a full year grade for a class. If the class is a full year, you will have two semester grades that get used for GPA, rank, etc.
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There are MANY different ways a HS transcript can be presented. I think we can all agree that the OP can get the definitive answer about his/her high school from the guidance counselor.
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Yes, it could hurt your chances at the most selective schools. That doesn’t mean your odds go to zero, but if a school has an 8% admit rate, you can never know what might bring you to the waitlist pile. Your school counselor can help you understand how competitive your transcript is in the context of your high school.
There are MANY factors that go into holistic college admissions other than grades (ex. LORs, ECs, course rigor, essays etc.). I can’t imagine that one B for one semester in an AP class will materially impact an application.
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