I don't know about my grades.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi everyone!

I’m an engineering hopeful. I expect to apply to Purdue, Virginia Tech, VCU, and Penn State.

GPA: 4.31 weighted (at the end of junior year); ~3.9 unweighted

Standardized test scores:
SAT: math 720, reading 690 (will retake)
ACT (superscored): 28 math, 34 English (my math score isn’t great so I’m not sure if I should submit these).

Senior year course load: AP Government, AP Physics, AP Literature and Composition

At my local community college: 2 entry-level engineering classes, calc II, linear algebra, statics, C++, engineering economy

AP: World History, 4. U.S. History, 4. Language and Composition, 5.

Good number of extra curriculars/leadership.

My real problem comes in with some of my individual grades. Starting junior year, I’ve been enrolled part time in my local community college taking engineering classes. The only blemish on my transcript is a D the first time I took calculus, which was at the college and in a classroom filled with people upwards 11 years older than me (I retook the class in an 8 week online course and got a B). I experienced what a lot of college freshmen do when they are in a college environment for the first time but since it’s visible to colleges, how will this impact me? The D is no longer calculated into my GPA and I’m sticking with the engineering courses, so will the fact that I “hit the wall” and then got back up help or hurt me? Should I write an essay about it or have a counselor write a letter about my bizarre situation?

Thanks in advance for responses, I appreciate it very much!

2

Why dont you just talk about this situation in the additional info section?

3

Don’t waste your essay on an explanation, it’s not the point. See if your GC has an idea how to effectively explain this, maybe focusing on your usual hs math strengths and the level of the college class being higher than usual (is that the case? Just that others were older isn’t an explanation.) I think those schools will see you picked up the D. The issue may be, do they expect an A? Might help if you have a great LoR from a hs math teacher, too, noting your dedication and how you take on challenges. Get the GC’s advice.

4

This class was entirely different than what was taught in the high school- all of my grades were based on tests (no homework grades, quizzes, extra credit, etc. and the tests were always so much harder than all the homework). We also did more than the high school did in a year in a semester. Thanks so much for the advice, I’ll drop in with my counselor as soon as I can.