<p>grades don't mean everything, stop acting like a nerd. there are more aspect about yourself than just grades</p>
<p>I know someone who got into Penn with a B+ and several A-'s junior year, and he didn't take as many AP classes as you, so don't worry about it because things all balance out (don't forget about your ec's, recs, test scores, etc)
although Penn says that they place the most value on the transcript (as do most colleges)</p>
<p>Haha, lots of my friends FREAK OUT when they have a chance of getting a B in a class -- they're of the type who think that they're going to die if they don't get into Harvard or Stanford. All I say to them is "Do you HONESTLY think that if you were to walk into an Ivy League school, you'd see nothing but 4.0 students?" Of course not!! Schools all grade differently; an A in one school could easily be even a C in another. A few B's does not at all eliminate you from the running. And especially taking into account your courseload, you're fiiine. :]</p>
<p>I have a question about GPAs, though, and I don't want to post a new thread about it. It might be a stupid question:</p>
<p>In my county, GPAs are calculated based on each year-long (or occasionally semester-long) course. To get an A, or 4.0, for the course, you only need a 3.5 for the year. Each quarter or exam is translated into quality points (4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0), and the GPA is found by adding first quarter + second quarter + 1/2 quality points for midterm + third quarter + 1/2 quality points for final and dividing by five. So, theoretically, someone could get 3 A's and 3 B's in a class (or all A's and an E on the final, or A A [A] A C [A], or A A [D] A A [C], brackets denoting exams... the possibilities are endless!) -- or in all of their classes -- and still get a 4.0 for the year. </p>
<p>Is this weird? Or do a lot of schools do this, and am I dumb for typing out that whole paragraph of explanation? I mean, I know that some schools do GPA based on percentage, etc. But do a lot of other schools use this extremely lax formula for calculating GPAs? I feel guilty sometimes because I got a bunch of B's freshman year -- one class was actually B B ** A A [A] -- and still got a 4.0 cumulative GPA. (I then vowed to eliminate B's from my report cards forever and was successful sophomore year, but I slipped up this quarter and got one.) Anyways, supposedly, colleges don't get to see our individual quarter grades. Is my GPA misleading?</p>
<p>Any takers for my question?</p>
<p>It's post number 54 or 55.</p>
<p>ice5290 - The following may sound harsh, but I don't see Brown, Yale, Harvard, or Columbia happening. Your test scores are on the low end of the spectrum, as are your academics. Remember that Harvard and friends reject a high number of Valedictorians each year! Furthermore, I don't see any national awards in your extracurricular resume, so I'm afraid that your chances are rather low. However, USC and NYU may happen..... again, though, your test scores are on low end.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that I did NOTHING but compare your achievements to the ranges/averages posted on collegeboard's website.</p>
<p>Hi guys!</p>
<p>So I've been gone from CC for awhile due to heavy courseload (not surprising) and I came back yesterday to check up on stuff and saw this post had accumulated 5 pages of replies....</p>
<p>To the many who mentioned this, yes, my courseload is real. Yes, probably I have been poorly advised. I am currently doing good, although not excelling (straight As). This is just due to stupidity (i.e. not turning in hw) because the actual material is not hard (anymore).</p>
<p>I go to school in South Florida where there (apparently) is alot of push to offer alot of APs to minority schools simply because they're minority schools (someone asked this). We offer 25 APs I believe. State pays for everything. </p>
<p><<<stop acting="" like="" a="" nerd="">>> I am afraid I am much less of a nerd than some kids out there who are complete geniuses and whom I do admire, but who drive me to believe that a few Bs will keep me out thanks to their straight As/AIME/ISEF performance. </stop></p>
<p>I am still freaking out. But I think I suffer of paranoia so I will try to ignore it.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your replies.</p>
<p>What the HELL......... 10 APs??!?!? i cant take all that without overblowing my circuits.... yo, quit worrying, i got a few B's here and there and i still got them Ivys. one or two B's wont throw you out of the game. focus on ur extracurriculars and SATs</p>
<p>YES! apply! get in! Your courseload is insane by the way.</p>
<p>metdeth what florida school is that? it seems really stupid of a system</p>
<p>I had a really similar courseload during my JR year:</p>
<p>AP English Language (B+)
AP Calculus BC (A-)
AP Spanish Language (A-)
AP Physics B (A+)
AP Microeconomics (A)
AP Macroeconomics (A)
College Marketing Honors (A+)
Art IV Honors (Step before AP Studio Art) (A)</p>
<p>It was extremely difficult to do well in all of the classes but it's do-able. Just focus on time management and you'll be fine. Don't kill yourself though and make sure to have fun JR year (sounds almost paradoxical, I know). I sometimes regret my courseload because I could've done so much better if I dropped even one AP. Find the right mix. Message me if you want to chat.</p>
<p>Oh btw, I applied to UPenn Wharton Early Decision and got 'Deferred.' I don't know if its worth adding on another AP and forgoing an A in another. My other creds/ stats can be found on my thread.</p>
<p>That's the type of courseload that college admissions are looking for at the Ivies. They want you to maximize your academic potential relative to what your school offers. If you find it difficult, you should drop some courses, maintain high scores in AP. I would not drop AP, colleges would look negatively on that. "That's the ivies" Other colleges are not as strict and selective.</p>
<p>But Stanford tends to be one of the more subjective ivy leagues</p>
<p>Stanford is not an ivy league o___O</p>
<p>Wait, you're taking A2 and Pre-cal at the same time?!</p>
<p>***?</p>
<p>What the PLUCK!!!! how do u have 11 courses in one school year...my school only has 6</p>
<p>I don't think a few B's will hurt your overall application.
My advice is to focus on your EC's before your senior year.
GOOD LUCK :)</p>
<p><<stanford tends="" to="" be="" one="" of="" the="" more="" subjective="" ivy="" leagues="">></stanford></p>
<p>Stanford is not actually an ivy, though it does rank among the top universities in the US. </p>
<p>I think that you'd have a good shot of getting into at least one of those schools. You won't necessarily make it into all of them, but you have a good shot. They take courseload into account, as well as SAT scores, EC, rank, and gpa. So if you score well on your SAT's, maintain all A's and B's, and factor in some EC, they will definitely consider you.</p>
<p>Jr. Year was a hard year for me as well,but trust me, colleges look at more than just your grade. They want to see/know who you are all-around as a person.</p>
<p>I am a transfer student…I applied to UCLA and UCB for comm major. My GPA is a terrible 3.7.
I was in PTK, several other clubs, did volunteer service, worked in school newspaper, broadcasting program, debate team, and interned at fox. My essays were pretty good. Do I still have a chance even if my gpa is so low???</p>