<p>This is an urgent question. Our son has received the principal nomination from his MOC. He is medically qualified and tomorrow, hopefully, will be physically qualified. The USNA has his SAT scores (1380), current GPA (3.8), and transcript, which shows he is taking AP Calc. The AP Calc course in very challenging for him, and he risks an unsatisfactory grade (possibly a D). Should he drop the course (while taking it as an audit with tutor), or keep it and hope for the best. The real question is which (dropping w/ no transcript) or keeping (w/ subsequent transcript grade possibly unsatisfactory) is best for getting the appointment. We know that Calc is a big course at the academy, so he will have to do it, but our question is which choice makes the most differnce for appointment?</p>
<p>Tough question. I trust you’ll receive more definitive responses, but here’s my 2 cents, and worth every penny, I’m confident.</p>
<p>The USNA is informed your Mid is taking AP calc, so there’s no possibility of thinking it’ll go away. And it’s obvious that’s not your view.</p>
<p>So …I’d discuss this w/ someone in an official capacity, probably CGO. Your BGO may or may not know the answer, but this is beyond many, and besides, the answer is merely the informed or otherwise opinion of a volunteer. So I’m not demeaning or diminishing the BGO role. But this requires informed, official, timely attention. Trust them to lend good counsel. My guess is this will not be nearly so dire as you perceive it to be, but until you know that, treat it as …dire.</p>
<p>ALong with Chem, Calc is a plebe-killer. Getting as much prep as possible pre-academy is worth the effort. Is there any possibility of switching to a non-AP course in calc?</p>
<p>I’m a grad, parent of two current Mids and a BGO. USNA will almost certainly request a transcript sometime between the appointment offer and graduation to check for “senioritis” and may rescind an offer if a candidate shows poor performance after an appointment has been tendered.</p>
<p>Bigger question for you to consider is, as navy 2010 has alluded to, “Will your son be ready for Plebe Calculus?” I doubt the AP class is any less difficult than what he will be taking at USNA - with a lot more pressure and a lot less free time.</p>
<p>My advice - worth what you’re paying for it, I realize - is to keep the course and work hard to get a C or better. It will only help him later.</p>
<p>The Academy will test for placement during the summer anyway. The Academy will probably not look down on your son if he performed poorly in AP Calc because many mids perform poorly in Calc at the Academy. USNA will probably see this as a “free pass” and certain motivation to increase calc skills at the Academy. The Academy would rather see your son fail “playing JV” than he would playing on the “Varsity” team that is USNA calculus.</p>
<p>I was in the same situation, and I struggled for a B- in Calculus AP in high school. Continue to have your son push through, it will pay off. Calculus at USNA seemed so much easier because I struggled with it in high school…just an experience.</p>