For those who ask, I got a 4/8 equivalent to a C. It will be used to calculate my final grade, and since I attend my IB school the 4 will show up on my transcript of the 4 criterions.
If one were to get just one bad grade in math, would that affect their chances going to a top school
They will certainly notice. Do you have an explanation (family issues, medical condition, etc)? If so this needs to be explained.
But a single low grade won’t pull you out of the running. If you have shown areas of growth in other subjects, and can demonstrate that this was a single instance, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
Honestly though, other areas of your application make up a greater weight for the decision (financial aid, sports, test scores, ethnicity, geography, etc)
The other grades I have received in Math are all A’s, so will it be fine?
I don’t think they can see each specific grade that you got in math, but rather your overall grade. So if you bombed a test and got a C but your grade in math is still an A or a B then you should be fine.