*Need Advice!* No idea what to do!!

Applying to College
1

So I’ve been on the advanced math track since 6th grade, and I’ve always done…okay. I’ve gotten low As on each course, with the exception being a B+ in Pre-Calc last year. Now it’s senior year, and I’m taking AP Calc AB and absolutely failing it. I did every single homework assignment. After failing 1st quarter, I talked to my teacher about what I could do to improve. So I worked even harder: I got two calc tutors, watched YouTube lectures, did practice problems, stayed after with my teacher for review sessions.

And it didn’t work.

I failed for the semester with a 67, and I’m currently failing third quarter. With an F.

Here’s the Good News:
-I’m auditing the course. I don’t need it for graduation, and though the F appears on my transcript, it’s not included in my GPA.
-I got accepted into the seven schools I applied to, and one school gave me a full tuition scholarship.
-Though I’ve been accepted into nice schools, they’re not Ivy-level or anything, and my GC says they won’t rescind my admission. Fingers crossed that he’s right.
-I intern at engineering firm and have won national and state awards in computer science and robotics, so my resume looks good. That calc grade though…
-I have high As in my 3 other AP courses, and a solid B in physics.
-I have nearly perfect GPA.

Bad News:
-I want to be a computer engineer. And I’ve wanted to be one for years. But now I question?
-The school offering me full tuition only awards engineering degrees. So if I decide to study information technology or computer information systems, I have to go somewhere else.
-I lose a $20,000 scholarship if I decide to study something other than engineering.
-Though I enjoy building things and programming, I don’t even reallly like math that much.
-My parents refuse to believe that their daughter may not have the aptitude to suceed in an engineering program, and want me to go to the school that’s offering me full tuition.
-I can’t drop the class for something else due to scheduling conflicts!

My Plan(s):

PLAN A (my preferred plan)
-take calculus online or at a community college over the summer, because I truly want to understand it
-major in information technology or computer information systems, and minor in computer science or computer engineering
-probaby not die

PLAN B (what my parents think will happen)
-take calculus online or at a community college over the summer, because I truly want to understand it
-major in computer engineering as originally scheduled
-manage to scrape by in calc sequence, survive all four years
-land dream job

PLAN C (what I think will happpen)
-take calculus over again
-major in computer engineering
-struggle insanely, lose scholarship, and transfer to some other school to start Plan A
-end up with lots of debt and tears

So yeah. If you’re still reading by now, God Bless your sweet, precious soul.

Final Comments: At first, failing AP Calc was okay because I love a good challenge, have worked my way out of sticky situations before, and took all the traditionally right steps to remedy the problem. I knew it’d be a tough mountain to climb, but Diligence was my middle name, and I was ready to go.

And now there’s less than sixty days of school left, and I feel like I’m climbing Mount Everest in nothing but a t-shirt and shorts.

This ONE class is making re-evaluate all of my life’s decisions thus far, and makes me feel like my whole high school career has been in vain. I could’ve focused on a different career better suited to my talents, but I didn’t and here we are.

What do I do?

2

Only you can decide your situation. Have you spoken with your guidance counselor?

My dd is an CS engineer who studied EE/CS. She loves math and it comes naturally to her so she was able to get by the tough university courses. Engineering involves a lot of advance math concepts and physics. If these are weak areas for you, you may want to try your hand at taking a class at your community college this summer and see if a change in professor will help. Don’t take an online class. You are already doing that and it doesn’t appear to be helping.

3

I think the bigger issue here is your choice of major. I don’t know how you can get through an engineering major if you can’t pass a first level calc course, especially with all the extra help you have received. It’s not going to get any easier in college. But you’ve obviously done well with winning awards so there seems to be a disconnect. I don’t have an answer for you, but I think you need to figure out why you are struggling in math. You can’t be an engineer if you can’t pass calc.

4

Plan D. You are questioning computer engineering. What else are you interested in? Go to the college that allows you to study something besides computer engineering. Have any of the colleges you are accpeted at offered any kind of merit aid, other than the one with full tuition or $20k? I assume they all offer something in comp e, so I would go to one of,those colleges. It is hardly surprising that at the ripe old age of 17 or 18 you are now questioning what you want to do in life. I don’t think plan b sounds like an option you will be happy with. Sit down and show your parents this thread, it will open a conversation.

5

You sound like a very mature logical rational student. Kuddos. Are you the only one in the class struggling? Or are others too? Will you take the AP in May? You could just have a poor teacher. What is the school’s record w AP results? Keep doing the things you are doing, tutor, videos etc. Buy AP review books for the test. You might surprise yourself. How did you do on math portion of SAT or ACT? Just trying to figure out if it is math in general or just this one course …

I would suggest picking a college where you will have options though. You say you want to be computer engineer. Have you taken computer class? Computer science AP? Dont give up on your dream but pick a school where you can shift gears if need be. Evaluate the other schools where you have been accepted. Have you visited them? Maybe there is one that has what you are looking for plus other majors.

Sorry for all of the questions. Good luck to you.

6

Can you study Computer Science rather than computer engineering? WOuld the scholarship still cover that subject since it’s STEM?
The number of math courses would be lower in CS and there’s more flexibility, especially depending on college.
Check if the colleges have an “extended” calculus sequence, such as calc 1-2 over 3 semesters. (Engineering is unlikly to have that but some of the colleges you’re considering may.)
Fact is, Calc AB covers in a year the equivalent of 4 months of college calculus, so it’s going to be really, really tough for you next year. If you’re failing Calc AB with that much support, it’s going to be really tough for you in engineering where there’ll be lots of calculus and calculus-based physics.
CS would still have excellent job prospects yet not be as prescriptive as engineering and it wouldn’t involve calculus-based physics on top of calculus.
You could start your first semester in Precalculus to review everything, then move to Calc 1 in the Spring, then Calc 2 in the Fall of sophomore year - it’s actually quite common outside of engineering; or start in Calc 1 in college after reviewing everything in the summer.

7

@4Gulls There are others students struggling, but the whole class compares test scores at the end so I know I’m definitely a step (more like a mile haha) behind my peers. Right now, I don’t want to take the AP test because I think it’ll be a waste of money. Do you think its a good investment?

I got a 26 in Math and a 29 in Science on the ACT…but 34s in both English and Reading.

I’ve taken programming classes online, and did well in them. I also code for fun.

8

@MYOS1634 Computer science is an option! That’s what I originally wanted to go into, but I thought that was more math-intensive than computer engineering? The scholarship would cover it, and I could go to the school offering full tuition. I could also do software engineering.

9

What school is it(itll go faster if you say the college’s name than if you have to root through the website for flow charts)
Because then cs may be a solution, depending on the recommended sequence for either software engineering or cs.

10

@Lindagaf I’ve received lesser merit aid from other schools, though I have completed over twenty outside scholarship applications (and have twenty more to fill out) My sister is also starting college next year, so there’s pressure to pick the best financial offer. We’re also first gen college students, and I’ve tried to figure out this college thing the best that I can, but it’s proving difficult.

11

The #1 source of scholarships/financial aid is the college itself. #2 is the federal government. #3 is the state. Private scholarships, outside scholarships… are typically only for small amounts and only for freshman year (outside of the Gats Millenium, Coca Cola, etc). Those small scholarships help with books, transportation to the college, getting equiped/dorm room stuff, heavy winter coat if you change regions, miscellaneous personal expenses… but they won’t cover tuition, room, and board.
Can you name the school so we can quickly tell you what level of math you’d need for CS and for Software Engineering?

12

Have you tried taking a couple of practice AP exams? If you do well on them, it might be worth taking - if you can score a 3 or better it could counter the poor grades. However, be warned - I think something like 42% got a 1 or 2 last year. Buy a book. Try a couple of practice APs and decide.

It does sound like Computer Science would be better for you than Engineering. Engineering is notoriously tough everywhere - Still, I think you should pick a school that will give you options if after a semester the CS program proves too tough. Agree that if you can name the school you’re considering it would help posters to offer advice.

With two going at once, you should get some $$$ from schools. Is your sister looking at the same schools as you??

13

Not getting something the first time around isn’t all that uncommon – try not to beat yourself up over it. Good luck :slight_smile:

14

A 67% isn’t awful in ap calc. Take it again in the summer and then see what happens. Often times colleges curve tests, so you probably would pass with a curve.