I’m currently a junior in high school, and so far I have gotten all A’s on my transcript. This year, I have an A- in an accelerated precalc. class, and I’m worried this could significantly weaken my college application! I’ve always taken the hardest classes (with the exception of AP Chem this year), but I’m not a math person/want to major in English in college. Will an A- look terrible on my transcript?
You’re fine. When I visited Princeton, the admission rep said that “a couple Bs” won’t hurt your application
Realistically, a single A- won’t hurt you at all for any college. Anything above a 3.9 unweighted is competitive at any school.
What’s your GPA? Test scores? An A- shouldn’t hurt anything, since you’ve gotten all A’s before, but a few gpa points could make a difference (COULD, not WILL, COULD) if your test scores are ‘sub-par’ for the Ivies anyhow. And your EC’s could make or break your case as well. If you list your stats, we can better measure how the A- will affect you (whether it’ll be slightly or not at all).
@pianogirl999 - Is an A- at your school still considered a 4.0 (or 5.0 if it’s an AP class)? Either way, I agree with the others that one A- means nothing. Keep getting those As and get a great score on the SAT or ACT and then join the ranks of thousands like you hoping to be admitted. All you can do is do the best you can with grades and test scores and ECs. After that, it’s still a reach for you because Ivy League schools are a reach for EVERYONE. Focus on what you can control and then apply and wait. Good luck!
Whether the college of your choice accepts or rejects you will not be due to an A- on your transcript. Many other aspects of your application are as important. Focus on those and don’t dwell on the past.