<p>How bad does a C+ in an unweighted (algebra II) look if it is the only C (or B for that matter) on your entire transcript?</p>
<p>With the C my GPA would be around a 4.3, without a 4.5. I hear Stanford looks for "well-lopsided" students... I'm great at science, english, history ... but algebra II is just killing me this year.</p>
<p>So, yes. There's the question. Can you get into Stanford with a c?</p>
<p>dude...just chill..they look at an applicants OVERALL quality...not just grades...so work on those essays and SHINE!</p>
<p>Here's some theory for you:</p>
<p>Rank (especially being top 10%) is most important as far as grades go. By analogy, with SATs, its really important to have 700+ all around. These are both true since Stanford reports their numbers by these divisions (i.e., how many are top 10%, how many are 700+ math/CR/this year writing). A 690 and a 700 are really close in theory, but are far apart in their eyes because it means another bracket on their stats sheet. The same can be said about .1/.2 GPA, when it means being top decile or not.</p>
<p>One caveat: Stanford, in their own viewbooks, also reports % who are top 1-2% (essentially highest ranked students). This would seem to suggest that being top ranked is important, and you could make that case, except that in every other place (guides, CB.com, etc.) only top decile figures are reported. In the end, it's all about the school having the highest stats.</p>
<p>I hope (any of) this was helpful.</p>
<p>dang. i go to a small school thats pretty competitive... there were so many ties in cumulative GPA's that even though i have like the 4th highest, i'm ranked 12th in the class, and so I'm not in the top 10% (our senior class has 75 students). does this mean i'm pretty much screwed?
here's a few stats:</p>
<p>SAT: 2280 (800 writing, 750 critical reading, 730 math)
SATII: 760 (MATH2), 730 (Lit)
EXTRACURRICULARS:Sophomore Class Vice President, Junior Class Historian, Senior Class President, Prom Committee, Contra Costa Childrens Chorus, Contra Costa Childrens Honors Ensemble (I know... choir might sound lame, but we tour all over... we toured to Italy last year and sang at St.Peter's Basilica.. it was pretty tight..)
AWARDS/HONORS: National Merit Commended Scholar, member of NHS, National Consortium of Rare Lung Diseases (Invited Speaker)
WORK EXPERIENCE: Kumon Math and Reading Center (tutor, 9th-11th), Coldstone Creamery (shift manager, 11th-present)
OTHER: I was diagnosed with a rare (and sometimes fatal) lung disease called Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis in November 2004. Ironically, I was diagnosed at Stanford Medical Center : ) Anyway, I'm the only youth with this disease they've ever seen at Stanford... the disease is so rare literally one in a million get it, and at times I am reliant on an oxygen tank... of course, i figured out a way to put this all into my essays : )</p>
<p>anyway, as for bouncecrissy, I'd say it depends... what grade are you in? if you're a senior in Algebra 2, there's no chance. if you're a junior in Algebra 2, you might have a chance, but only if your other stuff is pretty stellar. They usually like to have their applicants to be either taking or to have taken Calculus, and I'm not sure if you'll be able to do that if you're only taking Algebra 2 now. Work hard, do your best... that's all you can do!</p>
<p>sarahjhansen: Your SATs are strong. I understand the situation about the rank, but if we look simply at the numbers (86.8% were top decile according to the Common Data Set for 2009), things don't look good, especially SCEA. Of course, you have an extraordinary circumstance which certainly neither I nor any other applicant has, which does carry weight. At this point it seems a matter of how moved the adcom gets..</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>dang. what a bummer... maybe it'll help that all my four B's were freshman year... since then, I've gotten straight A's... and hopefully they liked my essays; i thought they were pretty dang clever. anyway, thanks for the quick reply, i guess i'll find out thursday.. if anyone else has any thoughts, feel free to post : )</p>
<p>Stanford calculates grades sophomore year and up. So you have a 4.0 in their eyes.</p>
<p>YES! you just made me so happy, i don't think you have any idea..</p>
<p>i might have known that; i did my application quite a while ago, but still... you just made my day/night/whatever! : )</p>