I’m currently a Sophomore and I recently got a B in my AP Calculus AB class. I’m really devastated because my dream college is Harvard and I know that having a high GPA is really important. There is the IB program at my school and next year I’m required to take a class called TOK for it. TOK is only the second semester for juniors and the first semester is a free study hall period. Do you think I should take that opportunity to redo the first semester of Calc? Will colleges like Harvard and other Ivies be less likely to admit me if I redid a class?
I’m going to work really hard so that I can get an A this semester. I’m really disappointed in myself for getting a B but there’s not anything I can do now so I should focus on the future. Thank you so much and all answers are greatly appreciated!
Yes. Assuming the HS even allows a retake on a B (and shame on them if they do), colleges are not interested in grade-grubbing drones. Move on. Get an A in the next level math class. If any college rejects you, it will not be because of a B.
Do not retake a class in which you got a B. Not only will it make you look like a grade grubber, as SkiEurope mentioned, but you would basically be telling Harvard and other colleges that you have nothing better to do with your time. That’s a huge turn-off. All accepted students are going to have high stats (not necessarily perfect, but very high). It is largely what you do with your free time that differentiates all the qualified applicants.
Put the time you would spend with retaking the math class into an extracurricular. Preferably one in which you can excel. Trust me, Harvard will look much more favourably upon that.
What are you hoping to accomplish by retaking half a year of a class? The responses above assume you are trying to replace a grade, but that’s not what I read in your post. You’re correct that there’s nothing you can do about it, you need to focus on the future, and work on to obtain an A next semester.
Are you concerned you didn’t fully learn the material?