<p>So, it's my junior year, and I'm getting decent grades. I have always had semester grades of straight A's with occasional B's. I just recently got 3 B's up to A's which leaves me with only one B and one C, in AP Chemistry and AP Calculus BC, respectively. My parents are Asian, so it explains a lot about why their unhappy with my grades. I go in for extra help and study as much as I can. Recently, my dad told me that senior year I have to quit the only sport I am currently in and my mom told me that starting after winter break, I can no longer volunteer or be a part of any clubs. They say that that they want me to focus on my grades to get into a good college. Sounds completely contradictory...</p>
<p>My EC's are the only things that keep me sane. They give me a break from the pressures of school and my parents. My parents and I haven't been in a very good place since I started high school and the littlest thing I say that contradicts them seems to turn into a screaming match. How am I supposed to explain to them that my grades are good but not excellent and if I don't have anything else listed on my college application, I'm not really going to have much on my application?</p>
<p>Are you absolutely sure that dropping your EC’s won’t impact your grades (positively)? I mean, it all depends on your prospective schools - some schools hold GPA almost equal to your EC’s, while others don’t even bother looking at your EC’s…</p>
<p>I’m sure. Tennis got done over a month ago and my chem and calc grades haven’t improved at all. Also, I plan on playing tennis in college, so I think I should probably play all four years…</p>
<p>OH MY GOD. This is like my situation.
I’m a junior too.
Last year, it was even worse and ended in me threatening to kill myself. That did not go that well. So no matter how terrible, do not do that. Also makes the wrath of Asianness even worse. </p>
<p>And this year, is frankly my most terrible year. I don’t even know why. I will probably get a B in AP C physics, as my only B. But then I have AB Calc. I have an F— and with 3 weeks left in the semester, I really do not see how I can get anything above a D. </p>
<p>PS If you ever want to rant, you can PM me.</p>
<p>No offense, but you going to have actually try, you have the potential to make a good grade. but you are at plateau, you exceed above that plateau to pass that class.</p>
<p>@quidditchcat A teach disliking you may result in a minor grade drop (especially in more subjective grading classes like English), but won’t result in a failer</p>
<p>@poohbear Good luck! Personally I was in similar situation last year and did end up becoming slightly less involved in ECs. It worked for me (I brought a C up to a B by the end of first semester and that same B and another one up to an A by the end of second semester). Try taking a week or two off of one or two of the ECs that you are less involved in and/or do not enjoy as much as other ECs and see if it helps at all.</p>
<p>Grades come before ECs. ECs with bad grades (unless you are top national athletes) won’t help you. I think most colleges regard grades as more important than ECs. ECs are just the extra padding that makes you stand out from a pile of apps with similar grades.
It sounds like you do many ECs, just keep two or three (whatever number, just keep it a very few) ECs that are absolutely important to you, the ones that keep you sane.
Now, you have mentioned that tennis was done a month ago and yet your grades have not improved, did you spend the extra free time on studying or on more ECs? Perhaps drop a few more ECs to free up more time. It’s gonna be painful for you since it sure sounds like you have fun with those ECs.
I, on the contrary, hardly do any ECs and am trying to do a few more. I was going to join science olympiad team but got turned down for whatever reason that I may never know.</p>