<p>So the story goes I'm a sophomore who's taking the hardest classes available at a semi-unknown public school in the Midwest. Last year, however, I did not honors math. This year, though, I decided to double up my math classes so I'd be taking Geometry (Regular) and Algebra II (Honors). So now that first quarter grades have been handed out, my grades were all A's except my H Algebra II...which happened to be a D. So we have a huge test Friday, which I am not prepared for as I was out doing my main extracurricular during class time.</p>
<p>My parents and I are walking very hard to get me into a regular Algebra II class, but I'm fearful we wont be able to before semester. What does this look like from an admissions standpoint? I have been going through depression for the past six months as my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer, but is this a legitimate excuse (it has led me to lose sleep and appetite)? I'm just in the mode of thinking that because of this one grade, my whole transcript could be ruined. </p>
<p>Worst case scenario, would colleges totally disregard me or will my explanation be enough?</p>
<p>Thanks for helping! Typed this in a frantic mood, so it might be long and drawn out, sorry.</p>
<p>You’re a sophomore so you have two years to balance for a bad grade or two. That said a “D” in a core math course will cause concern regardless of where you apply two years from now. Trying to explain a bad grade away often draws attention to the grade rather than explain it.</p>
<p>So you may need to put the ECs on hold, get a tutor (perhaps your school has peer tutors?), get advice from your algebra teacher, and study sufficiently to bring that D up to a C (or better!). If you and your teacher conclude that this is very unlikely, and your school allows it, drop the course, and retake it next year. It’s easier to explain an “incomplete” (especially if you simply take the course the following year) than a D.</p>
<p>Among the many excuses that students think up to explain one bad grade, having a mother with brain cancer is by far the most legitimate.</p>
<p>My best wishes for a full recovery and for being able to manage the situation. </p>
<p>One grade in one semester is not going to prevent admittance to a good college. In particular, if you are not going into a math-related field, it is less important to do great in math, as long as your other subjects are strong. The world needs English majors too.</p>
<p>What about one bad grade in math… a D freshman year, but you repeat it in summer school and receive an A. Does anyone know how colleges look at that?</p>
<p>In answer to 5boys question, I would think that colleges would look favorably upon that - you had a problem and you addressed it well.</p>
<p>I believe most colleges would look most closely at the junior year. If a student starts out slow freshman year and then progressively better to the point they are doing great junior year in hard classes, that is very positive.</p>
<p>However, most colleges hate it: </p>
<p>1) when there is a downward trend as the student has aged that cannot be explained by taking an extremely hard courseload, and </p>
<p>2) when a student does great on standardized tests but poorly in high school grades. That often shows they have the ability, but they are lazy.</p>
<p>Thanks charlieschm… I know that no one really knows what goes on inside of admission sessions, but I was hoping they would lean more in the way you described. I don’t really know the reason why he did so poorly that year. I think he just didn’t get the teacher’s teaching method. I know this particular teacher has has a lot of problems with kids doing poorly in her class, but I also know that you can’t use that as an excuse. My S is one of those boys we has finally decided to turn it on this year as a Junior. He got all A’s his first quarter and seems to be finally thriving… even in the much harder classes this year. He is one of those high test scorers so I was worried last year about him being perceived as lazy, so I am enormously relieved that he has decided to turn it around this year.</p>
<p>Thanks for answering the questions (including 5Boys)!</p>
<p>My mom talked with the counselor today and they have issues of me dropping the class before semester. It looks very likely that I will have a D, but everything else will be an A. I didn’t want to seem like I wanted pity from colleges for the cancer, so I was unsure of if that would be frowned upon. </p>
<p>I’m feeling better about the situation now, it’s just getting that first grade that isn’t an A (especially when its a D) is sort of traumatic. Writing that out, I cringe because it seems like such a small issue.</p>