@MoonKnight -If I’m following your sequence correctly, you don’t have to apply to College C (for fall 2020) until you’re already enrolled at College B. Even the most selective colleges typically have March 1 transfer deadlines so you could be at College B for a month or more before deciding your next steps. Granted, that isn’t a LOT of time to make a big decision, but at least it should give you some sense of the safety issues near campus.
So if you do decide by next March to aim for College C, you’ll already be AT College B and there will be no penalty at College B for trying to transfer out. Note, however, that the College C admission folks may raise eyebrows over your very short stay at College B. so you’ll have to be clear about your safety concerns in your application.
If you want to send me a Private Message and tell me the name of College B, I’ll send you my thoughts on the safety concerns there, if I have any inside scoop–which I may or may not.
Hello, again, Sally. Per your suggestion that I keep you (and the forum) updated about my daughter’s situation, here is where things stand now. The Dean of Admissions asked my daughter to find a class equivalent to the class she withdrew from and complete it with a grade of B or better before the college’s fall term begins in September. We searched high and low, but all the local universities’ and community college’s summer courses are already underway, and she can’t find anything to enroll in. We also looked online, but all the classes are 11 or 12 weeks long, so she couldn’t finish by the deadline. She has emailed the Dean to inform her of all this, and we are waiting for a response. In the meantime, I have another question: Would it be helpful if I contacted the Dean, as well? I know colleges like to deal directly with students, but do you think it would help if I explained that the withdrawal was an ADA accommodation, and the medical condition is now resolved? Could I offer to send letters from my daughter’s doctor and/or guidance counselor saying she is prepared for college? Or would that do any damage? Thank you again for your interest and advice!
@LiteraryMom -I don’t think that you should contact the dean … at least not yet. At this point, all of the communication should come from your daughter. Let your daughter play out the string as I suggest below and then–in a week or so–if she’s really reached a dead end, you can go ahead and email the dean.
BUT … I think that you should still be able to find an online class that fits the bill. Just for giggles, I looked up “Online Calculus II; Summer 2019” and got a lot of hits without trying very hard and without knowing exactly what you’re looking for. (You’d said your daughter dropped AP Calc BC which is why I focused on Calc II, and there were even more classes in Calc I.)
Some of the classes I found offered self-paced study. So even if they’re designed to take as much as an entire semester, your daughter could probably finish a self-paced class much sooner since she won’t be in high school full time taking five or more other classes concurrently.
If your daughter scours the online calc options and really can’t find a class that meets her needs, then she should ask the dean if there’s another class she could take instead (and she should offer suggestions of what IS available). It should probably in a STEM subject as well but perhaps not limited to math.
Thank you for doing all this work to find classes – but I write with good news. Given how difficult it was for my daughter to find a class that fit the bill, the Dean of Admissions has waived that stipulation, and my daughter is now admitted. Sally, I really appreciate your responsiveness and support as we were dealing with this.
The lesson learned from this is: If there is any sort of change in schedule in a student’s senior year, tell college Admissions Offices immediately! Don’t assume that a medical or ADA situation will automatically be recognized as a valid reason for a change in courses. I’m so relieved our saga had a happy ending.
@LiteraryMom --Thanks for sharing the GREAT news. (I think I can hear your daughter sighing with relief here in my little study in Western MA … and undoubtedly you, too!) Best of luck to both of you as you begin the adventure just ahead.
Hey Sally!
I was accepted to Yale off the waitlist but my second-semester grades were horrible (dropped from first semester 6A’s and 2B’s when I got accepted to 3 A’s 3B’s 2C’s) as a result of my grandmother passing away. Before she passed away, I had to spend most days in the hospital to take care of her because my mom has to work every day to support us. Therefore, I did not submit some of the assignments on time. After she passed away, I also bombed many tests, which caused my grades to significantly drop. Before the semester ended, I emailed the admission officer who told me I got off the waitlist and talked about my situation and predicted my final grades. I gave them the predictions for the best outcome (4A’s 3B’s 1C) and the worst outcome, which is my actual final grade. They replied and said “Thank you for letting us know and I’m sorry that you had such a challenging spring. I hope you can finish the year out strongly and take some time to rest and recharge after school ends.”
I thought that indicated I was fine, however, I just received an email from that admission officer today saying they received my grades and they were at the lower ends of my prediction. That admission officer said they would like to call me early next week “to talk about [my] semester and how [my] summer is going”
@goldensamoyed -I’m sorry that you’re in such a stressful situation, especially so soon after the death of your grandmother, which was stressful (and sad) as well. You have my condolences.
When you talk to the admission folks at Yale, be sure to emphasize that YOU were the one who tended to your grandmother daily while your mother worked. Many teenagers lose a grandparent during high school and this may (or may not) have some impact on their grades. But it’s a very different story when the teenager is as involved and as responsible as you were. So when you talk to the staff at Yale, be specific about the amount of time you spent at the hospital and what you did there. Also remind them that your mother was working to support you so that’s why this obligation landed on you.
Because your final grades fell into your predicted range (albeit at the low end), I think you should be okay. The grades aren’t great, of course, but they’re not awful either.
Above all, be sure to insist that you are now ready to tackle a very rigorous college curriculum, explaining that you’ve been able to grieve your grandma and recharge your batteries over the summer so now you’re eager to get back in the classroom. If the official(s) you’re speaking with still seem skeptical, offer to start the first semester on academic probation and/or to meet regularly with your advisor or a dean to confirm that you’re staying on track.
Good luck, and let us know how you make out. I’m optimistic!
My son ( a senior) is taking AP Calculus AB and is struggling mightily basically due to poor precalculus preparation. He is doing everything he can to catch up and pass the class - goes to tutorial daily with his teacher and has a private tutor twice a week. He has also met with his counselor and the principal. He knew by late August he was not prepared for this class but was not allowed to drop it even though he does not need it to graduate. He also has a 504 plan that was not followed for the first 8 weeks of school because his teacher did not have “proof” he had it. (I know -crazy and a longer story) So frustrating. His grade is slowly rising (69 right now) and we are hoping he can scrape by.
His school is moving him down to regular calculus next semester if he passes the AP first semester. He knew about this change in level before submitting his college applications and reported his senior classes as AP Calc first semester and regular Calculus second semester. Since this is reflected on his applications, I am hoping that is all he needs to do as far as notifying colleges of the change in level. What is your opinion? He is not applying to super selective schools and is not a straight A student. His gpa is 3.5 and he has received a few C’s in the past.
@Emory85 -From what you’ve explained here, your son has already reported the drop in calc level so he doesn’t need to notify his colleges of the change again.
The only thing that’s confusing is that you said that your son will drop down to regular calc “if he passes AP.” Well, what happens if he DOESN’T pass AP? If there’s some OTHER change in his schedule that might take place, then he WILL have to tell colleges about THAT.
And if your son finishes his AP Calc semester with a low grade (even if he does pass), he might want to explain the situation to colleges (e.g., the lack of 504 initially–but ONLY if he’s telling his colleges that he has the 504 in the first place). If he does write to his colleges to explain his low AP Calc grade, he should also mention that he was receiving tutoring from both the teacher and privately, so the admission folks will understand that he wasn’t slacking.
He definitely is not slacking and is actually working harder in this class than in any other class he has ever taken. I am sure I could get his principal, counselor and teacher to attest to that.
Back up plan is that if he doesn’t pass AP Calc he will take a math class at the community college where he is currently doing dual enrollment. This will count as a year long high school class. The only problem is what class to take. He took a placement test at the college and did not have a high enough score to take Calc 1 (he missed it by 1 point) and I honestly don’t think he should take it anyway. He needs something in which he can be successful. We are trying to figure out if he can take Precalculus since he already took it in high school. If he can’t I am not exactly sure what he will take but he will take something.
I figure if he fails AP Calc he will have to inform the colleges and will explain at that time what he will be taking. I am trying to be optimistic and hope that won’t be necessary but if it is we will cross that bridge when we come to it. He will be proactive and will contact all the colleges as soon as that happens. (It continues to boggle my mind that his school will let him change levels in January but not in August which could have prevented all of this.)
I have also considered that if he fails I may try to get the class removed from his record entirely due to failure to follow the 504 until October. But I have a feeling that will be a fight that may last past the time when mid year grade reports are sent to colleges.
@Emory85 -It sounds like you’re on top of this and will let the colleges know about course changes in the second semester, if any. So do cross those bridges when–or if–you come to then. You’re doing fine.
Hello,
This isn’t necessarily about rescinding decisions, but it does deal with colleges changing their minds after receiving new information.
I’m a senior, and I’ve just finished my Early Decision application to Dartmouth. However, they require my first-term grades (my school is on a trimester system) and I have one B, in IB Math HL. The problem with this is that my intended major is math (I even wrote one of my writing supplements on it), and I’m worried that Dartmouth will think I don’t show actual interest if the only B I’ve ever gotten in high school is in what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. My math grades have been stellar over my high-school career, I doubled up in math sophomore year, I got a 36 on my ACT, 800s on the Math I and II subject tests, have placed in several local math competitions (albeit all as a part of a team, not individually) and got a 7 on the Math SL IB test when I took it last year. In addition, I have a wide variety of ECs and have won Quiz Bowl and foreign language competitions. I’m very confident I’ll be able to raise my math grade to an A by the end of the year, I just don’t think I can by the end of first term. Do you think this is enough to “cancel out” the B?
Sally, any advice you could offer would be appreciated.
Thank you so much
Hello,
I am concerned about colleges rescinding my offer. I was taking an online English dual enrollment class, and I had about an 82 in the class until I missed the final (I read the wrong date and was visiting my older sister in another state). I pleaded with the teacher, mainly because I got an A on the midterm and knew if I just had a second chance, I could do well. I also asked the department head and my counselor at the community college to allow me to retake the exam. Still, because my teacher said no, and her syllabus provided no retakes (besides illnesses), they said no. Currently, the F isn’t on my college transcript but reports on the website with my college grades.
After talking with my high school counselor, I plan to still graduate on time with an online course and a course at my school. My counselor also told me to wait until I was accepted or denied everywhere because she mailed the college transcript before the grade was updated. However, when I talked with a counselor at one of my reach schools, she told me to report my situation ASAP and apply as undecided. I already used to all of my colleges and followed my high school counselor’s instructions, but I’m worried If I don’t tell my colleges about my situation, they will rescind my offer at a higher rate.
Stats:
1320 sat (1340 super)
3.7ish UW GPA
4.02 w GPA
AP’s: calc bc, physics c, comp sci, govt, physics 1, stat, a push, world, human
Eagle Scout, lacrosse goalie, Science National Honor Society
accepted from Mississippi State and Iowa State
waiting for Auburn, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, OSU, and PSU
I agree with the college admissions rep who told you to report the exam snafu now. Explain to each of your colleges what you’ve said here about why you missed the exam and the unsuccessful efforts you made to reschedule it. Also add an apology for being careless about the exam date which resulted in taking up the admission officials’ time.
I really don’t think that this mistake will ultimately affect your college outcomes, but if you apply with a passing grade in the class and then ultimately fail it, it could be worse for you than if you alert the admission folks to the screw-up ASAP.
I don’t think that your high school counselor’s advice to wait until after your decisions is dead wrong; there is some logic to it. But–if you were MY child–I’d encourage you to be honest about the issue from the get-go.
Thank you @Sally_Rubenstone for your advice. I don’t mean to sound helpless, but would you advise one form of communication over another? Thank you again.
@Sally_Rubenstone,
First of all, thank you! That’s good news to hear.
In order to answer your question, things start getting a little complicated. First, I’d like to preface with the fact that IB Math HL is incredibly difficult, even for me. The reason my grade was so low is that the only grades we’ll have for the term are 5 point homework assignments (about 8 of them), 15 points for initial research on our IAs, and 1 100 point exam. You probably could infer that the exam was the deal-breaker for me. Our teacher used only questions off of old IB tests, and gave us limited time to take the exam. Two others in my class who were also previously strong in math did much worse than me on this test (Once curved, I got an 83), and the highest raw score on this test was a low C. To make matters worse, the teacher curved the test based off of each other, not based off an IB test curve (as other teachers who make their tests out of old IB test questions do, so as to prevent their students from failing). She decided that the average grade would be equivalent to an 80%, and to curve us off of that. As the class (at the time, two people have dropped) had 5 people, this made the pressure to do better than one another very intense. In addition, the top two scorers on the test (I was the middle) both could be considered “math geniuses,” and would be taking college level math classes (Calculus 3 and above) if they did not need an IB math class to get their IB diplomas. Again, this made it incredibly hard for the other three of us, who only had taken IB Math SL (which offers a much more limited instruction in calculus), to compete. Things get even more complex when you factor in that the weekend before the test was homecoming weekend and the Friday was our school spirit day, meaning time to study was already limited. But, that’s not the important part. The night before the spirit day, 8 of us slept over at a friends house. One other girl and I took our stuff to school, and thus didn’t have to return to our friends house, the other 6, when they returned after school, found that the mother of the friend whose house it was had passed away very unexpectedly. This meant a lot of the weekend was devoted to giving emotional support to this friend, trying to rearrange plans for homecoming, etc. The only thing is, most of the friend group is a lot closer to this friend than I was, so they were much more involved with grieving process. I’ve considered including this as an explanation for the B (as colleges always say things along the lines of “If there’s a significant drop in your grades, tell us why, and we’ll likely understand”), as my time to study and overall mental state were definitely affected by this sad event. However, as of right now, I’ve decided not to because: 1. I’d feel terrible trying to use someone else’s mom passing away as an excuse, and 2. Since the grade is not that low, I wouldn’t want Dartmouth to think I was making superficial excuses to try to cover my poor performance.
Do you think I should stay the course, and leave the grade unexplained, or tell Dartmouth of the events the weekend before the test?
Thank you again
@BAM2020 -I don’t know what you’re asking here. If you mean, which way do I think you should contact colleges, I suggest an email to your regional rep at each school with a Cc to the main admissions email address. (The regional rep is the staff member who oversees applicants from your high school. Often this information is right on websites. If not, you can phone the admission office to ask.)
@handmadeheaven -Thanks for the added details. I don’t think you should give any info to Dartmouth about your grade in math and, instead, let the chips fall where they may. I’m so sorry to hear about your friend’s mom, but–as you noted yourself–you don’t want to come off sounding whiny, and I don’t think that an excuse for your math grade is warranted. Going from an A to a B doesn’t qualify as a “significant” drop. Sadly, we live at a time when B’s are no longer considered to be good grades by strong students. When I was growing up, they were. I really feel that, if Dartmouth doesn’t take you, it will be because of other factors and not this one grade.
BUT … what you CAN do is to update your school counselor on your B in math, providing him or her with the same information that you’ve offered here (if you haven’t already). That way, if the Dartmouth admission folks have any concerns about a downturn in your math grade, they will call the counselor, and the counselor will be able to explain what transpired and also offer assurances that the downturn is likely to be temporary.