Right now my junior isn’t the best. Though i get good grades, the rigor is not where I’m used to. My freshman and sophomore year I took weighted core classes along with French. I also failed Pre-Calc my sophomore year. Last semester I took only one weighted class and this semester I’m taking three. I’m also not taking APs until next year. I know I can explain this in additional info but is there anything else I can do now?
You should probably schedule a time to meet with your guidance counselor. He or she will have a better understanding of what options may be available to you, and the fact that you are thinking about this now will help when he/she will help write your rec letter. The GC rec letters that stand out are the ones where the GC knows the kid, and can share your success story about overcoming challenges, etc.
Good luck!
Start working closely with your Guidance Counselor to make a plan for selling yourself to the schools that interest you next year. They will have insights into what schools are looking for and some schools really do like to see those kids who hit a rough patch then bounce back. It has been a long time for me, but I was a terrible student through my junior year. Bad grades, then surprisingly good SATs. My GC worked with me on an academic plan for senior year and to help target appropriate schools, plus to start getting the narrative ready to sell to the schools about my progress and finally harnessing my full abilities. It got me into a small LAC where I flourished, eventually going to Grad School and finally Law School with top grades at all, though freshman year of college was a struggle.
Is there a local Community College where you can grab some college level courses this summer? Other than that and forming a strong partnership with your GC, it sounds like you are working hard at getting back on track. I would be careful not to over schedule your Senior Year and end up with a too rigorous schedule that makes it hard for you to excel. Take the AP courses you really think you will like and do well in. Good luck!!
@3puppies Thanks! The reason for all this was I transferred into the school last minute and couldn’t finish all the summer homework. My GC now knows all of this but sadly next year I have to change GCs.
@Skates76 I have my college list ready so should I just bring it to my GC and talk to them about it? I’m doing well in all of the other areas like ACT and ECs but it’s my transcript that’ll hurt me. I wanted to do USH at my local community college to make up for APUSH but they don’t have certified teachers to teach it to me. Thank you for your help.
Is there an online USH course you can take this summer?
@3puppies I wanted college credit for it so I’m not sure what to do.
@kerrycake For the APUSH part, your kinda in my scenario. I have failed (semester 1) AP World History instead in 10th grade. I wanted to retake it so I talked to my GC and she said that my school doesn’t offer any classes for juniors who failed AP’s in their sophmore. What I did was pay 500$ so i can take it online. Pricey but it gets the job done. I would suggest really looking over your options. If you absolutely want to take the AP version, then get out of your comfort zone and search local community colleges or online (it will be in the hundreds of $$$) to find it.
NOTE: You cannot get college credit if you take the class… You take the test for APUSH and pass with 3 or better.
@IBGuy101 Thanks for your help! I was talking about the college credit from a community college class.
@kerrycake Well, I hope everything goes your way! Good luck!
@kerrycake Yes, take your list to your GC to get working on things. He or she may also suggest some other schools that you haven’t thought of that fit your profile and interests well. Stay open minded, don’t panic and work as a team. If you are switching GC’s, it might be a good idea to meet with both before the switch if possible to ensure a smooth transition. I like the idea of your taking the CC course for credit this summer, again it shows you are getting back on track and increasing your academic rigor, just make sure you have time to do it justice if you take it (-:
@IBGuy101 @Skates76 @3puppies Thank you all so much for your help! I talked to my GC and traded AP Psych and Earth & Space Science for APUSH. She says I’m on track and I’ll just explain the situation. I’m also doing PSY101 at my local community college.
Excellent news and best of luck to you! My GC really saved my rear end in High School or I might never have gotten to college at all. If you have a good one, and most are, they can do amazing things for you if you work with them.
Don’t stress it.
Just do what you love. Colleges admire that.