Brown is one of my dream schools and I’m thinking of applying for ED next year, but I’m really nervous that my math grades all four years in high school will pull me down during the admissions process.
I’ve gotten 3.5s (@ our HS, it means 90-94, so an A-) every year in our accelerated math track, which is known for being much more rigorous than the regular honors math classes. I’m taking AP BC Calc this year as a junior and there is no way I will be able to get an A+. Hopefully I will get the .4 added on this year if I get a 5 on the AP, which will make my grade a 3.9 but I haven’t exactly shown an upward trend throughout the years.
I really enjoy how challenging these accelerated classes have been, but I’m starting to regret not taking the honors track because I could’ve gotten high-90s to 100s in those math classes and made my GPA look better.
I feel like I’m stressing myself out over this one particular detail in my transcript, but I’m afraid that my GPA isn’t competitive. Help? Should I even bother applying? I have 4.0s for all my other classes but MATH and it’s frustrating because our school is so competitive and I feel like my transcript will be outshone.
If the Brown admissions committee loves your application, they are not going to accept someone else over you simply because they have a higher A in a math class.
I’m a parent, and here’s my perspective. The whole college-application process is highly stressful, and if it wasn’t this, you’d find something else to worry about. This is a done deal – you’ve taken the classes, you can’t undo it, so just accept it. Most colleges would prefer you challenge yourself than take easier classes for higher grades. If you’ve really enjoyed these challenging classes, that’s what you should be focussing on. The point of all this is not to get into college, but to hone your intellect.
If you read comments here about kids who didn’t get into top schools, one of the biggest complaints is “I worked so hard and didn’t get into a top school – what a waste of effort.” Start now by readjusting your thinking – don’t work hard just for college admissions, work hard because you like to learn.
Here’s what you don’t know, and never will – you could have taken those easier classes, gotten a higher GPA, and still been rejected. Colleges that have below 10% acceptance rates have very wonky admissions. You can’t predict anything. So don’t play the game.
If you have As in every other subject, strong ECs, good standardized test scores, and can afford the fee – sure, apply. Why not? Remember your chance of acceptance is really low, no matter what math sequence you took.
BTW, I’ve known students like you who got a recommendation from their teacher in a class like this.
I applied from the UK, so it was probs slightly different - Maths was by far my weakest subject - I got an A at GCSE (rather than an A*), didn’t take it or any other stem-y subjects at a level (junior + senior year). In my SAT I got 600 in Maths the first time, then 670 (both subpar my many accounts). BUT - I got into Brown RD this year.
Thanks for the support, I’m aware of the holistic admissions process and I agree with everything you guys said. It is indeed a stressful process and I guess I will just find anything to stress out about
