I basically have a 4.0 (3.98) average of all my classes except an A-, B+, A-, for three years of a foreign language. I have another languge on my transcript that I have taken for three years as well. My question is should I ask to have the (relatively) bad grades removed from my transcript or let them remain as is. I want to apply to top colleges eg. cornell Upenn ect. thanks!
<p>Your school allows you to remove bad grades? Wow. </p>
<p>Leave it on unless they're all C & Ds.</p>
<p>Wait, the A-, B+ and A-... do you mean those are the grades you want to remove? Because there's nothing wrong with those at all. People would give a lot to have straight A+s for 3 years straight, and you're worrying about two A minuses and a B plus?
Keep the grades, it'll show that you can excel in not just one, but TWO foreign languages.</p>
<p>I just re-read your post. You are a lunatic if you remove those grades. They are amazing. DO NOT remove them. A 4.0 doesn't matter as much as you think it does.</p>
<p>The answer is what I had hoped for. It is a bit of trouble getting my school to remove things from my transcript (only for classes taken outside of high-school and given credit as if it were at the school ie. drivers ed is 1/2 credit and any foreign languages you took formal education and achieved 85+ on the NYS regents....they can't remove classes taken at the school). I continued taking the second foreign language(french) after getting credit the first(hebrew) for just that reason. Do colleges pay attention to what the transcript says as to what year / where the course was taken? (I took the hebrew for hs credit in 5th 6th and 7th grade, and thus I wasnt quite ready for the level of work involved.)</p>
<p>I'm sure they pay attention to what year it was. That being said, colleges have said countless times that they like to see 3 years of a single foreing language. Since they prize foreign languages, it will only be to your advantage to know more that one.</p>
<p>They care most about the difficulty of curriculum. The fact that you have two FL's is a very big plus.</p>
<p>how "important" is foreign languages?</p>
<p>is being multilingual good? (4)
i speak mandarin, cantonese, ensligh, french</p>
<p>Anything that makes you stand out from the crowd is good.</p>
<p>Being multilingual is good, for things far beyond college admissions! Some schools, such as Pomona, ask what languages you speak, and to what degree (fluency, some ability, little ability).</p>
<p>if you can remove the grade school classes and boost your gpa and rank, then I would do it; class rank is particularly important at many eastern schools. You can always put the hebrew fluency on your app elsewhere.</p>
<p>At first, I missed that the classes were in 5th, 6th and 7th grades. Yes, I think it would be better to improve your class rank if you are very near the top of the class or you can have a 4.0 without the Hebrew classes.</p>
<p>Does it make a difference if it's a 3.98 or a 4.0? Especially if he did excellent in the Hebrew class anyway? It adds a FL and near perfect grades for it to a transcript, right? So I don't see what's wrong with keeping it.</p>
<p>The grades themselves won't hurt you, but if it keeps you from having a 4.0 and the resulting valedictorian status, then I don't think that grades from 5th, 6th and 7th grades wouldn't make up for it.</p>
<p>Here is the thing....The grades don't spicifically say 5,6,7 grade, the are actually in a different typeset than the other three years of high school, and say the name of the school that I went to.</p>
<p>GS: </p>
<p>1) the hebrew fluency can be discussed elsewhere on the app, and, quite frankly it might even look better since it would appear to be self-study. </p>
<p>2) assuming school does not weight, you can't beat a 4.0, so a tie for Val is possible.</p>
<p>3) for some super selective colleges, the odds of acceptance of a Val is ~50%, which drops to ~35% for Sal, and drops off quickly after that. There are 35,000 high schools in the country, and 35,000 Vals; but not 35,000 slots at HYPSM, and AWS....</p>
<p>Since the elementary school classes only have the potential to hurt the OP, and not help, IMO I'd drop them off.</p>
<p>Bluebayou,
assuming the percentage has to do with the title has little support. This logical phallacy should not be endorsed- the kinds of kids that are #1 in their class also are the kinds of kids who would do the most, take the hardest classes, and, overall, have the most impressive applicantions. As it drifts from #1 to #2 (or #45 at some schools with 44 vals), then the trend continues- those who are not ranked as highly are probalby not as driven or able, and therfore make worse apps. Plenty of non vals get in to school, obviously, be it MIT or Ivy league. My point is that those who are ranked higher tend to have more impressive total applications. She would have essentially the same total application either way, minus .2 gpa points and a new title.</p>
<p>My school refuses to give any ranking information out at all anyway they only will release our transcript and the high schools college admittance and SAT scores. We are one of the best public schools in the state and so that there is no harm caused to the "average" kids that would rank bottom 25% or "great" that are rated 70th%ile...there is no validictorian title given until a month before graduation so it is of no use to try and get it. This question is about the grades alone. As I calculated it I have a 3.94 without the hebrew and a 3.83 with it.</p>
<p>The college to which you applied might calculate it differently. </p>
<p>Anyway, either way you are in good shape. You are familiar with at least three languages and have an incredible GPA.</p>