<p>So I had a really low grade in ap calculus last year.</p>
<p>When I went to my interview for USC, i explained that it was only because I had never had to really study for math before that year and that just listening in class had previously been sufficient. By the time I realized what was happening, I was so far behind that it was difficult to catch up. I also told her I'm taking AP Statistics this year because that's what everyone that takes AP Calc as a junior does in my school and my GC advised me to do the same and that I was planning on retaking calculus at a community college the summer before college starts so I'll be prepared (since I want to be a business major)</p>
<p>She was pretty understanding of the whole "not having to study before" thing and advised me to explain this on my application, but I feel as though it's pretty flimsy excuse. I heard that it's bad to try make excuses for yourself on your application, but my interviewer said it was important because otherwise the adcoms will assume stuff.</p>
<p>I agree with you, leave it alone. A good excuse is usually something that is out of your control (eg. illness). Life is not a constant, you were responsible for making adjustments in your study habits if necessary.</p>
<p>would it at least be helpful to mention that i’m going to take calculus before college starts? i want them to know that i’m taking responsibility for my low grade?</p>
<p>i’ve already written a small explanation in case i need to use it. can i PM it to you to see if it sounds too much like an excuse?</p>
<p>Throughout my entire academic career, I have been one of the kids who never needed to study. Merely listening in class was enough for me to succeed, especially in math because I had always been ahead of others in my grade in that subject. However, once I got to junior year and took AP Calculus, my edge was lost. I no longer knew almost everything the teacher taught us beforehand, and merely listening in class was not sufficient for me to understand how to do things. By the time I realized that my grades were sinking, I was already so behind that it was difficult to catch up and impossible to switch out of the class. I tried my hardest to relearn the information, but I would only manage to learn a certain concept after we had already been tested on that subject.
I do not want to make excuses for my grades, as I know they are entirely my own doing. However, I have learned from this mistake and am taking responsibility for it. Juniors at my school who take AP Calculus typically take AP Statistics as seniors and I was advised to do the same by my guidance counselor. However, I have decided that I must either take a calculus course at my local community college or online the summer before college starts in order to learn the information and be prepared, as my intended major is business.</p>
<p>Yeah-don’t say that. Leave it alone. A severe illness caused my grades to slip soph year, and I was debating even putting that in the additional information sentence. i ended up putting it as a one sentence footnote.</p>
<p>I understand my AP Calculus grade junior year was extremely low. Juniors at my school who take AP Calculus typically take AP Statistics as seniors and I was advised to do the same by my guidance counselor. However, I will be retaking calculus by either taking a course at my local community college or online the summer before college starts in order to learn the information and be prepared for college, as my intended major is business.</p>