I am a junior and final grades were just posted for first semester. I have 4 AP and 1 honors class. I got a 4.43 with straight A’s freshman year, and a 4.71 sophomore year with straight A’s. This year, I could’ve gotten a 4.71 again but because I got a B+ in AP Bio, I now have a 4.57. How badly is this B going to affect my chances at top schools. I have very strong ECs and I want to go into medicine.
Don’t panic, as long as your unweighted GPA is higher than 3.8 colleges will see it in the same light as a 4.0.
@bksoccer7
A 3.8 is still good, but it’s not anywhere as good as a 4.0.
Since you’re a junior, a B+ first semester won’t make a difference. I’m assuming (as most schools do) that your first semester and second semester grades get averaged for the course. So, assuming you get an A or higher second semester, that B+ will not be seen. Not sure if that’s how your school runs things, but most do it that way. Also, one tiny tiny blip in a sea of straight As will not hurt you. Seriously. There are other factors that play in beyond grades.
@fishgill Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, my school works on the semester system, so my grade is final. However, I hope to prepare even more next semester and get an A to show improvement in the class.
i know but its not going to be a major factor in the decision making process
I am a bit unclear as to what you are referring to. Do you think my improvement second semester would not be a major factor or the B+ in the first place? Thank you for your response @bksoccer7
I think he is saying that the B+ is not a big deal because your GPA is still very high without it. In the big scheme of things, your GPA over four years will barely suffer. But seeing the upward trend and the improvement would definitely be better than a B+ for it in both semesters.
@fishgill thank you so much. That makes a lot of sense and hopefully, I can maintain the upward trend in all of my classes. I appreciate your response and I definitely feel a lot better. I was very worried before
There’s nothing you can really do about it now, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. 1 B is fine, you can still be admitted to top schools.
There’s a pretty big difference between a 3.8 and a 4.0 as a 3.8 could potentially knock you out of the top 10% of your class which is a pretty big deal for top schools.
Just move past the B+, it’s not that bad, and work hard to get straight A’s second semester.
I read somewhere (don’t remember where, so I don’t know if its true or not) that 75% of the admitted class at Harvard last year had a 4.0 unweighted.
So, if that’s true, you’re now in the bottom 25% of that pool.
There’s probably some other schools you can still get into, though.
:smacks head on desk:
Transcripts sent to college don’t have each semester’s grades-just the final ones. You don’t calculate GPA using semester grades-Semester grades are only included if they are only half year classes-which most APS are not. A B or B+ would not keep you out of a great college anyway-even if this were end of semester grades-whcih they are not.
OP: don’t be that kid.
Perhaps when you enter college, you’ll learn that seeking perfect grades is not the goal of college. Seeking Medical School isn’t the goal of college either…
I’m pretty sure most schools dont average out grades
So um how will you react when you get to college and find it hard to maintain a B, much less an A? Life’s rough. A B+ wont hurt you, especially in an AP class.
No, not all hs just give a final grade on the transcript. Lots and lots show semester or trimester and never factor a year-end grade.
If OP shows a B+ now and follows it with an A, all the better. Go for it. I don’t know what “top colleges.” But the question no one mentioned is how a B in AP bio might affect a pre-med app. So, OP, don’t be “that kid” who can’t breathe because he got one B and obsesses over fractional differences in the gpa. But bring AP bio up to an A next semester. And work on your relationship with this teacher, an excellent LoR from him or her would be great.
At my son’s school, AP Chem and AP Bio are the hardest classes and they are the ones where students often get their first B or B+, particularly the kids who are more humanities focused but are taking the most rigorous curriculum at the school. One B+ will not impact a transcript that is a sea of As.
Don’t worry - my friend got a B and they got into Stanford EA.
OP don’t worry. My Son had six Bs throughout high school and still got into Ivys and attends Penn. It is the whole application that matters not just the grades. OF course you want the best grades possible but a few Bs will not preclude admission if the rest of the application is very good.