I’m a high school senior who took Calc BC last year, got a 5 on the AP exam, and am now taking Calc 3 this semester at community college.
Unfortunately since it is being taught at community college and is not a high school course, the grade goes on my college transcript and there is nothing I can do about that fact.
My question is this: How much will getting a B or C on this course in high school affect my undergrad GPA, and my chances of getting accepted by a med school after undergrad? Would the fact that I’m taking the course as a high schooler offset the B or C grade that would show up on my transcript? Would retaking the course in college (which I plan to do) and getting an A help my chances?
Any grades you earn at a CC will be included in your GPA and sGPA calculations when you apply for medical schools.
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How much will getting a B or C on this course in high school affect my undergrad GPA, and my chances of getting accepted by a med school after undergrad?
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How much those grades will hurt (or help) your GPA/sGPA will entirely depend on what other grades you earn in college to go along with the B or C you get in Calc 3. Calc 3 will be worth 4 credits out of approximately 120-135 credits you’ll earn to complete your degree. If you have mostly As in college, then that B or C in Calc 3 won’t matter much, if at all; if you earn mostly Bs in college, then you’re not going to med school anyway.
Not really. But then again Calc 3 isn’t one of those “critical” courses that adcomms look at closely.
No.
Allopathic med schools do not allow grade replacement. Even if you retake Calc 3, you’re still going to have to report the grade from the CC and it will still be included in GPA calculations. (For allopathic schools, grades are like herpes–they stay with you forever.)
I’d advise you not to retake Calc 3 for better grade unless you get a C- or below AND you need the class as graduation requirement for your major.
Retaking a class you’ve done moderately well in (anything that’s C or above) is a lose-lose proposition. If you don’t ace the class, then it looks bad, like you simply can’t master the material. If you do ace that class the value of A gets downgraded because you’ve studied the material before and an A is expected.
tl;dr-- one B or C (or even an F) will not keep you out of med school.