I’m currently a sophomore in high school and I’m about to end with a B- for first semester. I live in a pretty rural area but I want to apply to the Ivy Leagues eventually and am wondering as to whether or not switching to regular algebra 2 will affect my chances of getting accepted. Will the admissions officers look at my transcript and think that I lost motivation just because a class is too advanced for me? I am also currently taking 3 AP classes but I guarantee I won’t learn the materials even if I stay in this advanced algebra 2 class. The teacher is the only teacher in the whole school that teaches enriched algebra 2 and many of my classmates also say they’ve never had as bad as a grade in math since this year. My main concern is about my own academic achievement if I continue to stay in this class for second semester. I already know that it’s of no use if I don’t know what he’s teaching because he doesn’t really explain a lot. I want to actually understand the materials being taught to me and asked my counselor if I should just switch over to regular algebra 2. Will switching over to regular class come off as being unmotivated to college admissions officers or will they look at it as me wanting to bring my grade up and actually learning the material? Should I explain about why I dropped this class when I’m applying? Is switching and earning a good grade better than staying and ending with a mediocre grade? I really want to have a good shot at admissions and I don’t really know if switching classes is a good idea. This is my first time ever trying to drop a course because the teaching style and course is just so dynamically unfit with my learning standards. I believe that learning a course’s overall material and understanding it should be a learning process for both the student and the teacher. However, my math teacher currently doesn’t really respond to emails and doesn’t really communicate with his students. What’s frustrating is that he has all this knowledge and yet it seems that he just lacks at teaching? I don’t know if anyone has been stuck in a rut like this with their teachers but I’ve been really open and trying to accustom myself to his teaching methods and it really stresses me out and I’m not seeing any improvements in my grades. I’m sure there are teachers out there that don’t care if their students are learning, and my math teacher is this type of teacher. He doesn’t care whether kids are flunking his class, and whenever a student would ask him to explain something in class, he singles them out in front of the whole class and makes them feel stupid, thus no students or classmates ask him often. What kind of teacher just expects us to learn the material as he only lectures once and then BAM, a quiz? Anyway, there’s been many complaints about this teacher but since I live in a rural area and he’s the only teacher that teaches this class, there won’t be any replacements or new teachers to take his spot. On the other hand, I don’t plan on majoring in any field that would require lots of math so I am not sure if that will help?
Will this affect my chance at admission to the ivy leagues?
Does switching over right after first semester show up on my transcript as a dropped class?
How will admissions officers perceive my transcript?
Is it worth it to drop a class because it’s not meeting up to one’s educational experience/learning standards?
Will switching one class for the first time in my high school career ruin my chance at admission to the ivy leagues?
Any tips to help with admissions processes?
Should I explain about my circumstances to the admissions officers?