I made a B in pre-calc the first quarter and a D the second so I made an average of a C. However, I have a 3.8 UW and a 4.8 W because I’ve taken 6 APs so far (I’m a junior) and I’ve never taken a class below the honors level (when available). I want to major in English at UCLA or USC so did these garbage grades just ruin my chances of being admitted now or does it not have as heavy an impact because I’m not majoring in anything that deals with math?
I’m also getting a tutor for math as I have not taken the SAT or ACT yet but I will in March and April. If I am able to improve in that area, I will have solid scores because I excel reading and writing.
You need to pass all UC a-g courses with a C or higher. If your two semester grades are posted on your transcript, then you have to report the B- and the D on the UC application and a 2nd semester D means you did not pass the class. You can validate the D in Pre-Calc by taking Calculus and passing but unless you repeat that semester D will be calculated into your UC GPA and into your cumulative for USC, meaning very little chance for an acceptance. You have to remember that you will be competing with applicants that have nothing lower than B’s on their transcripts. It really does not matter what your intended major will be, you need to have excellent grades to get into these schools.
@Gumbymom I don’t have a semester D, it was the quarter grade. I have a C semester average. I understand that the schools are very selective and the other kids that apply are very bright and near perfection. If I manage to get A’s for both of these quarters to average out to an A for the second semester, would they consider my improvement from a C since I know colleges like growth.
Sorry, yes if you can bump up your grades then you have a better chance at these schools. Just be aware for UCLA, as an OOS applicant, your stats need to be higher than the average and UC’s also do not give financial aid. You can expect to pay $55K/year for the privilege of attending. For USC, financial aid is available, but if you are trying for merit scholarships, that grade will be a hinderance.
Much will also depend on your performance on the SAT/ACT, your essays and EC’s.
For this year, the amount of OOS applicants and acceptances will be limited so I believe the stats for an acceptance will be higher. I guess we will have to wait and see, plus doing away with any FA for these applicants will also limit the amount applicants so a more selective pool.