I recently verbally committed to a top D3 LAC and am planning to apply ED. The coach told me that I passed the early read and that I just have to keep my grades up first quarter senior year. I got a C in AP calc BC but have an A in all of my other 6 classes(4 of which are weighted also). Do you think this C will get me rejected? Also, do these rejections for athletes that received offers, committed, and plan to apply ED happen often?
It shouldn’t, it’s not like you got all C’s or worse, but I’d give the coach a call to confirm. For the D3’s that have allocated slots, at least for D and S, the coaches after the positive pre-read said they were in unless they did something stupid in their application, in their first semester grades or did something morally questionable.
I would suggest that you seek out extra help, get a tutor for AP calc (or whatever is necessary to keep your grade at a C or above) because grades dropping below a C can be grounds for a rescinded acceptance.
@happy1 I am just concerned about my first quarter grades which will be a C no matter what. I am p sure I can get it back to a B I just happened to bomb one test. I just do not want to get rejected.
What did the coach say when you asked her/him? Or do you just want to let the coach find out when your transcripts show up?
@mikemac My school counselor told me it was alright today bc i am taking hard classes this sem and have all As in all of them. I dont think I am going to tell the coach.
I don’t think this will be a problem for you with guaranteed support from the coach. Solid advice about the tutor and get the grade up before you need to submit your mid term grades.
A C might not be acceptable. I suggest you tell the coach. I also suggest you get whatever help you need to get a B-…
This is my final midterm grade though so idk what to do
The decision is, of course up to you. And perhaps it won’t matter. But if it does, ask yourself if the coach will react the same if
- she/he first hears from you when there in time to perhaps take some alternative class or some other action
- the first time she/he learns about this is when the admission office calls to say their pre-read deal is off
Although as a likely student at a top D3 LAC I’m sure you’ve already thought this thru. Stepping up to one’s problems or just hoping things work out ok is a reflection of character. At age 18 or thereabouts the way you handle this is a reflection of who you have become rather than a novel situation, so I don’t want to try to persuade you to do something against your nature. I hope it works out for you.
+1 to mikemac’s advice in post #9. Based on what we’ve been told by coaches, I think a C is going to raise a red flag with admissions, regardless of pre-read. As a parent, I advocate transparency. Even flipping mikemac’s advice and thinking solely of your objectives, what is better…to find out NOW that it’s a possible deal-breaker or to find out later, giving you less time to take corrective measures/make alternative plans?
I would raise it with the coach and say that although your first quarter grade is set as a C, you have taken steps to make sure that you pull the grade up the rest of the year, such as tutoring, going to teacher for extra help, etc. That will show the coach (and the admissions folks if coach relates that to them if they raise it with coach) that not only are you being transparent, but you are taking proactive steps to fix the problem.
That said, I don’t think one C in a class as hard as AP Calc is going to kill you. Plus, you have As in all your other hard classes. People understand one quarter grade can be hugely affected by a one-hour test, and even military academies allow recruits to get two Cs as long as their GPA is otherwise high. So, come clean with the coach and don’t sweat it. You kids have way too much stress. You’ll be fine.
I don’t think you should “tell” the coach…you need to “ask” the coach if the grade could impact your admission chances. You have 1 ED application to use, and you need to eliminate the potential excuse that “the C this year really damaged your application”. Explain you’re getting help and focused on it, and get the coach to confirm either nothing has changed, or that this does impact things. If it does change things, evaluate your options and adjust if necessary.
Do this in person if at all possible. See how the coach handles this issue. You may need this coach to help you for the next four years, so use this issue as a way to test how your relationship with the coach might play out. Do you trust them? Are they understanding? Do they have suggestions? WIll they work with others at the school on your behalf?
Final comment: my first reaction in reading your OP was that this site is full of stories where students believed they had a commitment from the coach for an ED application that was rejected by the school. It is possible that the “C” you mention isn’t the reason for a rejection, so don’t overanalyze it.
Agree with the others. Call the coach and ask him/her if this could be an issue. Get a tutor, now. This shows the school you are taking this seriously.