<p>I was wondering if two grades that i recently recieved might put my admissions chance in jeopardy:</p>
<p>I got a B in Calculus (College class - math 265) I had to learn most of calculus in 14 weeks. My teacher was the proverbial donkey bottom as well so i had to teach a lot of it to myself. To show you how mean he was, I had 100% going into the final, and I came out with a B. He wouldn’t let me use laws that would make problems easier, and he would only let us use scientific calculators on the test, or no calculator at all. If anyone can answer this question please email me at <a href="mailto:JulianCarmo@aol.com">JulianCarmo@aol.com</a>: </p>
<li>Consider infinetly many pairs , each consisting of a sphere and a cube. Suppose each and every pair has the same fixed combined surface area S. Of these infinetly many pairs which has the minimum voume. What is the minimum volume? </li>
<li>lim as x approaches pi/6 of 1-2sinx/cos3x without using L’Hopital’s rule.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>I know these are kind of trivial, but these are the kinds of questions I got on my final. the limit problem might look easy, but assure anyone, it is quite hard. I’m just trying to prove a point. </p>
<p>I also got a B in Physics as a College Class (Physics 6) - I’m going to the college to contend my grade, beause I know I deserved an A. </p>
<p>Bottom Line: Will this put my chances in jeopardy? Thanks to all who reply. </p>
<p>-Julian</p>
<p>PS If you want to try the problems, please email me at <a href="mailto:JulianCarm@aol.com">JulianCarm@aol.com</a></p>
<p>From my opinion, two Bs definitely wouldn't "jeopardize" your application.. I mean, I'm sure not everyone who gets accepted to Caltech has a 4.0. At least I sure don't, and a lot of my other friends who are applying don't either.</p>
<p>Thanks for the post. Yeah, I was just mad because these are the first Bs ive ever got in all of HS. GPA is something I that covers my less than perfect SAT I and SAT II scores. But, its out of my hands now. If you know anyone who can answer those questions please have them email me. Thanks again. </p>
<p>-Julian</p>
<p>This isn't terrible, but I can't say it's great either. When people take college courses and get mediocre grades, it raises the question of how they would handle an even more intense environment. A phenomenal application with one B is not a big deal. A B in an important subject ( assuming you don't display a good proficiency in that subject elsewhere ) can kill a more average application, or at least tip it that way. But don't lose hope. Great essays and such can outweigh one imperfect grade.</p>
<p>And the people with Bs, a few Cs and a D don't stand a chance... ;)</p>
<p>Or is this not true?</p>
<p>Because that's my situation.</p>
<p>Depends in what and where. If the D was in gym, the C's were in freshman world history, and maybe a couple of B's in econ or some such, I could see it happening. Or if there was some serious family event (or something) that made you almost fail some semester, after which you resumed getting very good grades.</p>
<p>Otherwise, if you go to a school that isn't Stuy or TJ, etc., significant underachievement in math/science courses basically makes the chances very very small. It is, after all, Caltech. It would be cruel to place those who are not very strong compared to their high school classmates with the strongest kids in the country.</p>
<p>Thanks for responding to my post, it was slightly off-topic but was something I've been wondering about.</p>
<p>Anyways, I'll know sometime in April. I'm still not convinved there's terribly much of a link between grades and knowledge or stength in subject matter, so I'm not sure about your cruety statement. (People who make this argument annoy me too by the way, so I totally understand if this comment is ignored.)</p>
<p>Also, I'm aware that unfortunately, it's really the best metric we have. It's just so flawed when I see plenty of people around me without passion or true understanding of the subject going through the motions, whereas I take understanding as the first priority and if that gets me a good grade, then that's a bonus. Artificial standards and metrics really shouldn't be a priority... of course, now I've most likely shot myself in the foot. Studying I've always found to be an odd habit for example, why bother? You should either have learned and understand the material or you have not. If you don't you needed to already have reviewed it without need of a test.</p>
<p>I'll stop my rant now, it's not terribly appropriate for this forum.</p>
<p>My apologies.</p>
<p>Well, no, it's an interesting rant, don't apologize.</p>
<p>There are certainly students here who looked at high school the same way you seem to. And I'm not one of those narrow-minded people who think that everyone ought to be a grind in school because that's the way to succeed or whatever.</p>
<p>What is true, though, is that quite a few of those few kids who get in here and weren't grade grubbers (more like slackers, actually, according to their teachers) were near the top in their classes. Someone who never studies and blows everyone away anyway (in addition to seeking actual challenges elsewhere) doesn't need to explain himself. Obviously at least he's smart. There's some sort of John-Nash-type impressiveness to that.</p>
<p>So you can see the trouble when we see someone who doesn't study much and doesn't succeed all that marvelously. We wonder what distinguishes this sort of kid from the previous one. Why did that other kid never study and do better than you, especially if this hypothetical kid went to a harder school? There are thousands of possible answers, but you can see the gist of where the question leads.</p>
<p>At bottom, though, we see the results of people's work -- we don't have some mythical epistemic access to people's actual merit, if that even means anything. So while I wouldn't make the assumption that someone who got a bunch of C's is dumb, it would be quite hard to justify inferring a great deal of inspiration/intelligence/whatever from poor grades. Usually, readers would love to try to make a case for you, but you have to give them the tools with which to do so.</p>
<p>Those are my two cents on this.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Depends in what and where. If the D was in gym, the C's were in freshman world history, and maybe a couple of B's in econ or some such, I could see it happening.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So does that mean if someone hypothetically has several Bs, but none of them are in higher-level math/science classes, then it's ok? Or why if someone gets Bs in the easier classes like honors, but As in all of their AP/IB classes? Just curious. :)</p>
<p>I did scramble to include a research paper I just finished along with my application. I sent it in late (had to go write the thing...) but hopefully that will give a reader a bit of a case. I probably should have discussed this more in my essays...</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see what happens in April.</p>
<p>i was kind of in the same situation as you, except I applied to a different school. I applied early to stanford and I thought I was screwed becuase of my grades when everyone else had a 3.9+. Basically, first semester junior year, I got a B+ in calc. Then, second semester junior year I got a B. I thought this downward trend would screw me. But I showed I still loved math and science in other ways (siemens-westinghouse, intel, math team and science teams etc) and I was accepted. I think the adcom realizes that some teachers are idiots, but if you can make up in EC's what you lack in grades you should be ok.</p>
<p>OP: </p>
<p>So it doesn't utterly destroy your chances, but if I was reading your application I would have serious doubts raised. In particular, I know that whatever school you took your physics class in is much easier than the core physics you're going to have to deal with here. And I'm going to be worried about how you're going to do here. A lot of the times, back when I was reading apps, I saw kids that I really felt I wouldn't be doing a favor if I admitted them. And I would put you in that clump, especially with the B in Calc.</p>
<p>To Dj: I'm less forgiving than Ben is. If I saw a D, I would wonder what the heck the kid was doing. If you show up to a class (assuming not Tams/Tj/etc.) you do better than a D. Which means that this applicant doesn't even have their stuff together enough to make it to school. And that they don't just 'innately understand' the material, and so I wouldn't be inclined to accept them. Of course, if I could somehow 'see through' the app that the kid was brilliant (USAMO score? International Olympiad? Brilliant Research + rec from well known professor? And recs from hs teacher's saying "He clearly got it, he just was too bored), I would give them a chance. But otherwise, there are other folks who have the same good qualities, without the bad. </p>
<p>Galen</p>