So up until the end of sophomore year I was an A and B kind of person…but I got a C+ second semester sophomore year in Chem Honors.
In my Junior year I hit the ground running and got an overall 3.875 GPA. No grade below an A-. A+ in AP Macro for the year. 33 ACT. 5s on all APs.
I’m planning on applying as a History major but am worried about the one grade. The grade was caused by 1) my family in the midst of a move to the United States from Singapore, so my parents were out almost every month in Singapore speaking to the American embassy regarding green cards, 2) the fact that the class was taught through vodcasts which I had never encountered at my previous school and made learning the challenging material especially difficult and 3) preparing for National History Day competitions, which takes up a huge amount of time. I know that I’m also responsible for my grades but the grade truly isn’t just my fault.
I’m using the additional information area to expand on my extracurriculars such as internships and NHD awards.
What should I do?
You can’t really “explain” a bad grade, and attempts to do so run the risk of excuse-making. Sorry–I know this isn’t what you want to hear. On the bright side, it was 10th grade.
I don’t think you necessarily need to explain one C since your overall GPA is so high. If you want, you can talk to your guidance counselor about the grade and ask if they’ll explain how difficult the transition to the US was for you in their letter of rec.
Was it a two-semester course? What was your final grade for the class?
Most formal transcripts will only show the final grade for each course, not each quarter or semester grade like you might be seeing on your report card.
Ask your GC for a copy of your transcript so you know just what appears there.
@sophie9999 my GPA for junior year was a 3.875 but my cumulative GPA is a 3.66. sorry for not making that clear!
@WhataProcess it was a two-semester course. i got a B+ the first semestr and a C+ second semester 
and my school reports both semesters of a year.
There is no point explaining one C+. It isn’t going to doom your application. There will be no way to make it not sound like a flimsy excuse. Fwiw, yes, your low grade is your fault. I have seen plenty of kids on this site get low grades for genuinely traumatic reasons, and while there were some disruptions in your life, none of them were traumatic or devastating. Particualrly “preparing for national history competitions.” Your priotized that over your grade, so yes, it is your fault. Hopefully you have learned from that and will ensure that you prioritize what is important and how to achieve balance between grades and ECs.
Honestly, I think you’re fine. Your GPA is already great and the class you did poorly in isn’t even related to what you want to do.