I was admitted to Harvard SCEA, but I might get 1 C in my dual enrollment Calculus III class at Georgia Tech. I’m taking a full AP schedule where the rest of the grades are a mix of (more) A’s and B’s. Would I get rescinded?
I’ve only gotten two B’s in the rest of my high school career (and the rest A’s) - one in AP Calculus BC last year and Calculus II at Georgia Tech last semester.
@HobbitTon–Harvard would not rescind your acceptance under these circumstances. You clearly have challenged yourself in what sounds like your weakest area, so this will not work against you.
say a friend of mine got into mit or the like off the waitlist… do the regular rules apply? (dont get 2 Ds or more, and your fine)
specifically, say this friend was to get (in a worst case scenario), 2 Cs, 2 Bs, 1 A (forget gym), how would this be perceived?
would scoring well on AP tests (results come out in mid-july? i think) kind of “forgive” the Cs (god forbid a D)?
If a student is admitted off the waitlist before final grades are released, then that acceptance could be rescinded if the final grades are significantly lower than past grades. So a student who used to have only A’s might be out in the cold with 2 C’s and 2 B’s. It really depends on what the previous GPA looked like, how rigorous the course load is, and if there are any extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness, family problems) that might have led to the downturn.
However, a good score on the AP exam would NOT mitigate a poor grade. It could actually have the OPPOSITE effect because a 5 on the test with a C or D in the class might suggest that the student was slacking … unless there were the aforementioned extenuating circumstances or if the teacher in question is known for being an extremely heartless grader.
@Sally_Rubenstone I got into UIUC for Mechanical Engineering. I live in India, but I’m a US citizen, so I’m considered OOS. I did pretty bad in my final exams. Only the marks of the final exams at the end of each year count towards my final grade. In 11th grade, I scored:
French - 95/100
English - 92/100
Math 1A - 70/75
Math 1B - 70/75
Physics - 53/60
Chemistry - 47/60
That’s a 427/470 (90.85%)
Those are my 11th grade marks. My 12th grade marks are:
French - 91/100 (4 marks less)
English - 85/100 (7 marks less)
Math 2A - 47/75 (23 marks less)
Math 2B - 38/75 (32 marks less)
Physics - 43/60 (10 marks less)
Chemistry - 34/60 (13 marks less)
Physics Practical - 28/30
Chemistry Practical 28/30
That’s a 394/530 (74.34%)
Pass marks are 26 in each Math paper, 21 in Phy and Chem, and 35 in Eng and French. So I didn’t fail anything. I didn’t barely pass anything either, except Math 2B and Chem maybe (Passed by 12 marks and 13 marks, respectively).
Overall, that’s 821/1000, which is 82.1%. Do I have a chance of getting rescinded? Above 75% out of 1000 is an A, that will show on my transcript, but there’s no other grades. Only the marks show on the transcripts, and an overall A, no percentages. I’m a little worried my marks dropped significantly. Could you give me your opinion, even though you might not know much about the education system here? Thanks!
Hi Sally,
I have recently been admitted to Harvard.
I take 5 classes at my school and i have been getting straight As so far.
But, after I got into Harvard, I do not know if it is because of the senoritus but I recieved three Bs and 2 A-.
Is this okay or would this be a problem. Thanks.
My S got a D in AP Calc BC first semester followed by an F first quarter 2nd semester and now currently a B in 2nd quarter of second semester. The rest of his grades are consistent. He had already contacted a selective private school for which he had admission about potentially dropping down to Calc AB (about 2 months ago) and they preferred for him to stay in the more rigorous class even if he ended with an F.
However, now he has decided to attend a big 10 state school - admitted in college of liberal arts - far less selective than the private one he contacted and they are saying that more than one low grade could potentially result in admission being rescinded. They look at grade first - not interested in AP result (though he will likely get a 4 or 5 with all the rigorous prep - struggled with the material but has finally been able to learn it) and don’t seem to care so much about rigor.
He would really prefer to attend this big 10 school but I’m worried he could be without an admission in August. The admission rep I spoke with (S had called to speak with him but was not home from school yet) about this today said they would not commit to anything until they saw final transcripts… What is the likelihood of being rescinded?
@AGDC18 -My opinion is that you’ll be fine, though I am not familiar enough with your system to say this with complete certainty. My only concern is that your big downturn is in math, which is a field that’s closely aligned with your intended major. So I think it makes sense to contact the university now to make sure that your acceptance isn’t in jeopardy. I really don’t think it is, but you should act promptly rather than wait nervously for bad news (that will probably never come).
@whatsup2341 -At most universities, this sort of dip in grades would go unnoticed. But at Harvard, it’s conceivable that it WILL be noticed enough for the admission folks to comment on it but I don’t see them doing any more than that.
@singermom4- Your son’s situation is the most problematic. If he continues to make a visible effort in his Calc class, then I really think he should be fine at the Big 10 school, but I can’t say this with 100 percent certainty, and I understand that this puts you in limbo. Here’s what I recommend that he does:
**-He attends every extra-help session that his teacher offers if indeed these are available
-He asks the teacher to suggest a private tutor or he takes advantage of free peer tutoring at his school if it exists (e.g., via the National Honor Society)
-He asks his teacher if he can do some sort of extra-credit project to boost his grade. **
Even if he feels as if none of these measures will lead to an improved grade, at least your son has created a track record of making an effort. So then, if he does fail the class (or gets a D for the year), the teacher will be in a position to write to the university admission folks and explain that your son did not blow off the class, that he did work hard until the end.
In most situations, this is as important to the college–or more–than the grade itself.
Meanwhile, your should stay in touch with his Big 10 admissions rep (email is fine) if there are any good-news updates that he can provide (e.g., “I got an 85 on yesterday’s quiz” or “I started working with a tutor and I think it’s helping.”)
It’s common for admission folks to warn students away from senioritis by saying that one low grade could torpedo an admissions verdict. But unless the college has clear-cut published policies about D’s and F’s (e.g., like at the UC schools), the admission folks will not rescind if there has been demonstrated effort and there are not low grades across the board.
Finally, since your son wants to attend the Big 10 school and not the LAC, he might want to ask the Big 10 admission rep about dropping down to Calc AB–if that’s what he’d prefer to do and it’s not too late in the year to make the change
(which it might be at this point, I suspect). But if the Big 10 rep says, “Sure, drop down; we’d prefer a higher grade,” make sure this is IN WRITING (email counts) and not just over the phone.
I assume that your son’s senior grades will be finalized at some point in June. As soon as they are, he should consult with the admission office to confirm that he has not lost his spot, rather than waiting for the system to grind more slowly as he sits on pins and needles all summer. I really do think that, with effort, he’ll be okay, but I empathize with the stress that this will cause in the meantime.
Thank you for your detailed response.
He had the option to drop down several times but at the time thought it was better to be exposed to the material now and re-take in college. With the advice from the more selective school to stay the course, he decided not to drop down - it is too late to do this now. He has gone for some tutoring sessions but the teacher does not provide extra-credit opportunities. Now that all the material has been covered and they are reviewing (quite rigorously) S does not feel he needs extra work over and above to master the material even though that is what I have asked him to do. I will suggest he needs to set a better track record in these last few weeks as it could boil down to the teacher recommendation.
I wrote a note to the teacher last night explaining the situation and asking for his assessment of whether he thinks S will be able to pull a C for this semester. I have another son still in this school so I need to be very careful about not treading on toes.
@Sally_Rubenstone Thanks for replying! Yeah, I know I did bad in Math this time around. I contacted UIUC, but I didn’t explain in depth like I did here. I heard that most colleges discourage students from telling admission counselors their grades and asking whether they will be rescinded or not before actually submitting the final transcripts. Is that true, or is it alright if I tell them my senior year marks in detail like I did here?
I’m a current high school senior and I will be graduating in a few weeks, and I suddenly got slightly worried about a predicament I’m in. Im an A and B student with a 4.6 weighted/3.6 unweighted high school GPA, and this year my weighted has been at a consistent 4.8. I’m going to be an Engineering major at UF and ive already been accepted for the summer semester, but I failed one of my dual-enrollment classes, which was Introduction to Sociology. I know colleges can rescind acceptances, so I’ve become paranoid with the possibility, despite having good AP grades throughout this year and none of those dropped, just the Dual-Enrollment was flunked. I was wondering if my paranoia is well deserved or if I’m overreacting? Supposedly colleges dont look at them as hard and it wouldnt count towards my college GPA since it would be a transfer credit, so does it even really matter? I’ve taken 3 other Dual-Enrollment courses and passed all of those with good grades. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.
Is there any rule of thumb if one grade is bad? As in, I have all As and one B. What would that B have to become in order for the average school to rescind me (assuming the As stay As or A-s)? This school in question is a top LAC (not top top, but kinda close).
@AGDC18 -Admission officials don’t want to be bothered by hundreds of emails from neurotic seniors who are obsessing over tiny changes in GPA. But when there’s a significant downturn, then it’s fine to write. And the admission folks do want to see ALL your grades, not just the plummeting ones, in order to view the lower grades in context.
@TryUF1236 -I don’t see any problems ahead for you, but why not ask your UF admission rep? Some students worry that bringing a low grade to an admission officer’s attention is a bad idea. But, trust me the admission folks WILL see the grade … at least eventually … so you might as well seek reassurances now.
@kcirtap35 -Your B would have to become a D for you to be in trouble, and even one D (when all other grades are A’s) will probably just lead to a warning letter.
Do you think a person should bother a top school he/she was waitlisted at with a short (and truthful) email about how one oh his/her AP teachers took 10 points off the past semester final due to lateness (due to family problems and an illness) and how as a result he received a B instead of the A the AP teacher told him he initially had?
@ggwpafk823 - I suspect that the admission folks would think you were whiny and annoying if you sent them that information. It will not help your uphill battle to get off of the waitlist and it might even hurt. As a parent of a high school senior myself, I realize that sometimes teachers do things that are questionable and that can have an impact on report card grades. But although this is understandably frustrating, complaining to an admission office will not work in your favor.
i thought as much… thanks for responding, much appreciated
@ggwpafk823 -You’re most welcome!
I currently have 2 A’s, a B, and a C in my classes this semester. Both the B and C are right on the border so I could possibly end up with 2 B’s or 2 C’s. I’ve deposited to Vanderbilt and rejected all of my other acceptances. Should I let my admissions counselor know about these grades or do you think I’m fine?
@alex12353 - You can sit tight for now, but if you do end up with 2 C’s, you should write to Vandy and try to provide some justification (besides Senioritis!) for the downturn. Even if you don’t have a stellar excuse (e.g., illness, family problems), you can simply explain that you worked hard, sought extra help, etc., but the material was really challenging … and hopefully neither of the C’s is in gym 
Meanwhile, you don’t need to do anything at the moment except make your best effort to keep the grades up, and this does include seeking extra help or perhaps tutoring. Even if it’s too late to effect a major change in your grades, you want to maintain at least the appearance of effort.
I have been accepted to UCSD and have already SIRed but I only just noticed that I accidentally put that I had taken English 10Y instead of AP English Language and Composition as my 10th grade English class. I am also in the IB program but my high school lists IB SL physics as AP Physics on transcripts. I listed it on my application as the SL class since we prepared and too the sl test and even those who wanted to take the AP test had to cover the material outside of class. The grades I reported in these classes were correct as well as the rest of my transcript. I talked to my counselor about it and he told me not to worry but I’m still am. I am planning on calling their admission office Monday to notify them of the inconsistencies. What should I say when I contact them or should I have my counselor talk to them? Should I be worried, what are the chances they will rescind my admission? I’ve improved from my junior year grade wise so getting a D or F isn’t a worry