I will be ending AP Biology with a 78.8, and this is very hard to swallow as I generally receive A’s and B’s. By the end of my high school career, I expect to take 7-8 AP classes in total. How bad will the C+ look to admissions officers? Will my essays have to be super strong to make up for that grade?
You will be fine, you are not the first kid to get a c+ or a B- on a hard class, will it effect you getting into a ivy, maybe , but usually your essay is a really important part of your package, much more importantly is why did you get the C+, do you understand what you need to change so it does not happen again, also it would help if you nailed the Bio AP test, it would help you explain the class grade vs the test grade.Good luck
@NJdad07090 The class is very demanding and challenging. I predict getting a 2 or 3 on the AP test. How would I explain the class grade vs the test grade?
@amena555 - I was hoping you ace the test get a 4 or a 5 and that would offset the class grade.
If you’re not going into STEM, you’re fine. FWIW, a friend of mine got 2 C’s in AP Physics and still ended up going to his first choice uni for econ (or poli sci, can’t remember). Now if you were applying to CalTech/MIT/GT under a Bio-Eng major, that’d be a different story.
Also, the AP test for Biology is really not that bad, especially with tests getting watered down this year, I wouldn’t be too worried about that
Don’t try to to “explain” the grade, test score, etc. - that would just make it stand out. It is what it is.
It’s obviously not as good as an A or B, but it’s one grade of probably 30, on one part of your application. Every applicant will have strong and weak parts on the application, this is one very small weak note on yours.
You should make your essay as strong as you can, regardless of your grade in Biology.
Also, fwiw, a grade on a 3 hour test won’t “offset” a yearlong course grade. Many admissions offices don’t even look at AP scores. They are intended for “Placement” - hence the name.