<p>I have a problem with my Freshman and Sophomore year math grades. Due to my performance on the finals in these quite easy classes that I had gotten A's in all year (no sleep, little studying-- I had other tests that day. I'm not terrible at math!). They're the only grades I have that aren't A's, but this demonstrates a weakness in mathematics, and it seems like my dream colleges are slipping away due to my inability to study for such a mundane subject. </p>
<p>My question is, with solid EC's, test scores, gpa (still 4.0 UW), passion and interest in a specific area (history), can I expect to apply to Columbia University (early decision, legacy) and have a chance?<br>
How about RD Yale, UChicago, UPenn, Swarthmore, Middlebury, JHU, Georgetown, William and Mary, GWU, Bowdoin and CUNY Hunter ? </p>
<p>My other question is do I have a change of getting in if I can't fit honors precalculus in my schedule and thus take regular precalculus instead (this would mean I would have to take either Honors Calculus or AP Statistics Senior Year as opposed to AP Calculus)? </p>
<p>Feel free to offer suggestions.</p>
<p>remember that your extracurriculars matter! What distinguish you from other apps!</p>
<p>How can you have 4.0 UW if you don’t have straight A’s? If your grades slipped to A-'s colleges really don’t care unless your school uses the +/- system, but who would want to go to a school with the +/- system?</p>
<p>What in the world are you talking about?</p>
<p>You have a 4.0? And you’re worried that you don’t have all “A’s”? If you’re fretting about getting A-'s… I don’t know what to say. </p>
<p>Regular precalc is fine.</p>
<p>We don’t use the 4.0 system. Weighted, my GPA is a 97. Unweighted, it’s a 94-95. We have a weird system at our school because it’s in Westchester and thus you have alot of people applying to elite schools and somehow by not ranking and using numbers they think we have a better chance in admissions or something of that nature plus it’s less than 900 students. Almost all of my grades are above a 95, with several classes being 98-100. And I have been taking more academic classes than any student in my year (2 language, 4 honors, 1 ap, gym/choir/health). It doesn’t even make sense that a person can do so badly in math (ie:89-87) and then still do better than other students in GPA. </p>
<p>Will it help my app alot if I turn around junior year and get an A (I will study this time!)?</p>
<p>precalculus is very different from AP calculus. precal is more of an extension of algebra 2, while calculus is more focused on other stuff that are only touched on in precal. so if you take regular precal, AP calculus should be fine</p>
<p>What is your class rank? SAT scores? As dreamhigh touched on, there is soooo much more than GPA that influences ones chances at selective schools.</p>