<p>If I got these all in one year, how much will they hurt?</p>
<p>'B's in AP Euro, AP Chem, and Academic Decathlon first semester.</p>
<p>I'm going crazy... Is a 3.85 unweighted sufficient when applying to HYPS and other top schools if rank is still in the top 1%?</p>
<p>And yes, I know I've asked this before.</p>
<p>5 Bs are not gonna screw you over, just make everything else shine. I have 5 Bs also iirc, maybe 3 or 4.</p>
<p>Wait nvm, those mid-high 80s are considered As at my school because of the difficulty of curriculum.</p>
<p>Nosike. You just figured out your grading scale? Okay…</p>
<p>Saugus- No, the Bs aren’t going to hurt you. Your rank balances this. If your course rigor is in line, then you’re school stats are fine. You’ll need to consider SATs, ECs, LORs, and essays. GPA is only one part of the picture.</p>
<p>Oh, okay. So it’s like I have a 4.0 as long as my rank is still super-high?</p>
<p>No, </p>
<p>If you have 5 Bs, how many As do you even have? Five will hurt you a lot, because at that point you’re not an A student with a couple Bs, you’re an A/B student. </p>
<p>You certainly aren’t going to be pushed through by your transcript. If aiming for HYPS you should make sure your scores and ECs are especially top notch.</p>
<p>it sounds like for you this might be a downward trend in grades. downward trends are a big red flag for schools. 5 bs in freshman year or scattered through your first three years would not be a concern, and would be looked at very differently from 5 b’s in your junior or senior year. You may have to explain why this is happening in the additional info section of your application. If you just are in over your head with the rigor of your course load, that’s not going to be impressive to admissions folks. they will look at your grades in light of your SAT/ACT to put them in perspective. If you have strong test scores, that will help to confirm the high class rank, but if they are lower, the transcript problems will be magnified.</p>
<p>^He’s right, if these 5 B’s came in junior year, then its a big red flag to colleges that you cant handle challenging coursework.</p>
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<p>No, they are two different things. Your GPA is a calculation, plain and simple. How schools view your transcript overall is balanced by your GPA, rank, class rigor, and school profile. </p>
<p>If you understood my post to mean that your rank balancing your GPA would equate your GPA to a 4.0, I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.</p>
<p>Is it better to have all A’s than a few B’s? Sure. Is it better to avoid a killer AP Chem class because 95% of students get a B, however those that get a B are well prepared for the AP exam and generally score a 4+? Probably not. It’s ONE part of the admissions process and the only other one the OP has disclosed is rank, which at 1%. Keep it in perspective.</p>
<p>Honestly, I wouldn’t worry at all. If your class rank is top 1% you’re totally fine.</p>
<p>What stocker said. You need to put it into perspective relative to what grades your peers are receiving. If you’re getting 5 B’s and you’re still in the top 10%, I wouldn’t worry; the rank is what gives the GPA context to an admissions officer.</p>