I am currently not doing so well in my AP classes as I currently have a A+ in AP Computer Science, C in AP Environmental Science and a D in AP Stats (probably will go up to a C). I would like to know how first quarter senior grades are factored into the admissions process since I will be applying early action for all my schools. I will be applying for nursing or computer science. I currently have a 3.99 weighted GPA and a 3.77 unweighted GPA. I have a 1220 SAT score (retaking next weekend). I will mostly be applying to state colleges in Massachusetts and in New England and some private schools. I wonder how bad it would be if these grades are actually on my college transcript when applying to colleges. This is my first time taking AP classes so I am struggling a little. I feel like for AP Environmental science, no matter how much I study, I don’t do well on the tests and quizzes in the class but do well with the classwork and labs. I have A’s and B’s the past 3 years on my transcript and never got a C or a D ever. I feel like my grades this term is going to break acceptance into most of my schools but I would like to try to not drop out of any classes. I have A’s in all of my other classes that are not AP. I am currently working on my college applications with essays which are due November 1st. I just wonder how colleges will calculate first term grades into my GPA. If things don’t work out then I am going to have to drop a class to keep up my GPA. I am very cautious with how I am doing in school. If I have a D, then it means no priv and no sports to participate in at my school. What would be the best approach to this? I am trying very had to bring all of my grades up.
These represent the student you are today, so yes, they matter. If you feel you can bring them up, the later application deadline could be better for you. If you or a recommender can provide an explanation (and confidence that you will do better ), do it. Try to confine the damage to as few classes as possible
Depending on your school, only your semester/yearly grades are written in your transcript.
Ex: Quarter 1: 75 in AP Environmental
Quarter 2: 95 in AP Environmental
Semester 1: 85 in AP Environmental
Colleges will only see the semester 1 grade, not the q1 or q2 grade on your transcript. Your transcript could either display your numerical grade, or your letter grade. If your school reports only letter grades, they can either report “+” or “-,” or just the letter itself. So if your school does not report “+” or “-” letter grades, then an 81 or an 89 is treated exactly the same because they’re both Bs.
Get your grades up for q2, and you should be fine. Colleges ask for mid-year reports so they see your first semester grades. Also, colleges look at your weighted GPA, and since you’re not doing so hot in AP classes, your GPA may not look as bad as you think.
I can I can get my counselor to explain this situation but if I’m applyig for nursing, I’d have to apply early which applying regular will put me at a disadvantage
Post 2, not quite. We don’t know exactly which state colleges, but many will look at the transcript, the actual grades, as will privates. Not weighted, because different hs or school districts weight differently. Many high schools do report quarter grades. And an 81 does not equate to an 89.
So, OP, see if you can look at your targets’ online info about what matters in their admit decisions, any minimum gpa for nursing, any required hs courses, whether they expect AP science cores for nursing or CS, (if your school offers them, as opposed to enviro.)
This is your first experience with AP. Your past grades were good, you’re trying hard, but colleges can note if this new level of rigor was too much for you.
So check the basics and try to meet with your GC soon, ask him or her your thread question. Maybe you can drop stats, we don’t know how far you already got in math. But you need the GC’s advice and experience with MA publics.
I am looking into Umass Amherst, Umass Lowell, and Umass Amherst. My counselor said that all Umass schools will recalculate our GPA so that it is gives an equal advantage to all students that are applying. I don’t know how 1st quarter of senior year is calculated. I have met the required GPA for most nursing majors and have taken the required courses. They expect chem, bio and physics for nursing and I’ve done all of them. I’m just scared that college will be too hard for me just because I am not doing so well in AP classes which are college level. In college, all my classes with be AP. I am literally just freaking out right now because I really want to get good grades in AP classes, I try very hard, but they are as hard as if they are like impossible to get A’s in them even in an easy AP class like environmental science. I just feel so stupid right now for not even getting a good grade in an easier AP class. We are learning about linear regression in stats right now. I am also taking honors precalc for math right now and that class isn’t hard for me like most people say it’s very hard but that is an honors class. I can pretty much handle honors and college prep courses in school pretty well but AP is a different story. I want to do AP environmental science so I can then that could prepare me to take science courses for nursing while in college. Right now I just want to bring all these poor grades to A’s in these AP courses. I just want to have an upward trend in grades during my senior year which I am not having right now. I feel like if I don’t take AP classes, colleges will be much harder for me. If I drop out of AP classes, there will just be a W P or F next to it since it’s already pass the add/drop deadlines. I just need my first quarter grades to be decent enough to not let it significantly hurt my GPA. I would like to avoid C’s and D’s as much as possible. I don’t want to end up dropping out of all of my AP classes though.