I am currently a freshman at a public high school and I received a B+ (87) in my geoscience class second quarter. I’m aware that my non weighted GPA will never go back up to a 4.0 and I want to retake the class. Unfortunately, my parents will not allow me to, believing that I need to live with the consequences. I know they are worried about it also.
I’m relying on a full scholarship later on to college, and my dream university is Columbia. Did I just wreck my chances of a scholarship? What should I do to make up for the B+?
Oh honey.
You are setting yourself up for a long, grizzly 4 years of HS if you keep going this way.
First, Columbia, like most of the super-selectives, gives need based, not merit based financial aid / scholarships. Your application will be accepted (or, more likely, rejected - not b/c of you but b/c they reject 95% of applicants) on it’s merits, and then they will figure out how much financial aid they think that your family needs and offer you a package, which you and your family will then decide if you can afford.
Second, a single quarter grade is not going to be why you don’t get into Columbia.
Third, please oh please oh please let go of the idea of a ‘dream’ school. Allow your dreams room to grow and evolve over the next three years. If you aren’t growing and evolving that is a problem.
Fourth, please read- and believe and live- this from MIT admissions. It applies to all the super-selectives;
https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways/
Also, most schools do not allow students to retake classes because they got a B+. Some will allow a D or F to be retaken, but not a B+