I’m a HS soph currently taking 3 AP classes. My HS is on a semester system, i.e. each class takes whole school year to complete (=2 semesters). I’m getting all A’s as of March 13 2nd sem at school shutdown. Most of the high schools in surrounding school districts in San Diego here are giving students CHOICE to get grades or take credit / no credit. My school we’re given no choice, just credit or no credit for the 2nd semester Because of this, my GPA will lose 0.4 %… it should be 4.5 by June with my 3 APs but since this 2nd sem is no grade, will stay at 4.1, same as the end of the completed 1st semester in Jan. This seems so unfair as students in the 5 adjacent HSs will get grades including for AP classes. Our District thinks no grades will be fine, but I want to apply to some of the UCs here with 100K applicants each year, I think I’ll get screened out for my lower GPA. I’m taking 4 APs next fall, but if school closed again in my District, I’ll lose my AP grades again; that would be 7 AP class grades lost for me. I don’t think college admissions personnel will take the time to find out what my GPA could have been with 100K applicants they have to screen through. UCs look at Soph & Jr GPAs. What do people think of AP students getting hurt by the credit / no credit, no option for grades???
Do not. I repeat. Do not waste one more second of your precious life worrying about this. When you apply to college, your high school will let the universities know that this policy was in effect because of the pandemic. This will not be held against you in the admission process.
Please state your credentials to confirm how you know this for a fact. Thx.
Spring semester has been a cluster for a lot of schools. I cannot imagine that it won’t be taken into consideration during admissions. All schools are different and they do send a report to the college about course rigor and grading policies. I’m sure how this semester was handled will be taken into consideration. But, the more relevant point is that there isn’t anything you can do about it, so no sense stressing. My son’s high school only offers a few AP classes total, but somehow kids manage to get into very good schools despite not having GPAs over 4.0
Has been tough for a lot of kids and schools. Yes, schools will know there was a pandemic. Yes, it will hurt some kids. There are also some schools giving all A’s to students this quarter. Each school has decided on a different course.
I think for a kid who normally receives high grades and takes AP type classes, the mandated P/F option is terrible. Everything from having every kid get a pass, to locking in the GPA into fewer semesters, it won’t help. But there is essentially nothing you can do. Parents at the school my oldest attend wrote letters stating multiple issues regarding p/F vs. grades. Control what you can. Get your SAT/ACT scores up. Invest in your EC’s. Do anything you can. That will ultimately help you.
The local district here in the bay area did the same thing and parents and students complained (assuming jrs and sophomores) so loudly that they got the option to have their grade revealed at the time of the shutdown and then a progress report during stating what happened during the shutdown.
If you can get with other students/parentsto organize something like that (PTSA?), maybe you can get a hearing where they listen to other viewpoints. You have to do it soon, I’m assuming you only have a few weeks. Otherwise you’ll have to mention what your school district did and have your GC support you in his or her recommendation.
remember that UC and CSU have a limit on weighted class. The GPA will not be overly affected by your grade. you just want to get a good grade on the AP test and make sure you pass the class. The final UC GPA will not be 4.5 anyway. In that sense, the AP test is just for college credit.