I currently have a C, hopefully moved to a C+ by the end of the year. I’m concerned how this will affect my college application, considering I’m planning to apply for aerospace engineering?
For context, I took 6 AP classes this year, so the workload overall was challenging, plus activities, etc.
I struggled in the class mainly due to overall life challenges as well as a rough teacher. I think I did really well on the exam (maybe a 5, but don’t officially know until July obv), would that balance it out at all?
Also to note- I’m currently in AP physics C, and have an A.
Thanks for any advice/insight you all can provide! I appreciate it!
At some colleges, it may be the effect of one grade as part of your GPA.
At other colleges where there is some sort of subjective review of the record, a lower grade in a math course may be worse than a lower grade in some other course for an engineering applicant.
Without any idea of what colleges you are targeting, it is difficult to be more specific than that.
Will depend where you apply but more concerning would be your grasp of the material.
I guess you’ll find out after the test.
If you’re a junior in calc bc, you’re far ahead of where you need to be. You don’t even need BC to get into most schools.
So if your previous math was As and this is the only blemish, you’ll still get into great schools but when you start ( I assume in 15 months), you’d be wise to repeat Calc in college…most likely.
What have you scored in Math on the SAT or ACT? A higher score there will help demonstrate your proficiency. Which math does your teacher or counselor recommend you take senior year? I am concerned that they thought 6 APs was a viable option.
I have seen students take a calc dual enrollment course in the summer before senior year after a bot so great grade in either of the Calc AP courses. You will not get the score back until after that class would start most likely.
There are plenty of ABET accredited engineering colleges that will be interested.
If the student gets a 5 on the AP test, that would suggest the opposite… if so, then trying the college’s old calculus final exams would be a better way to make the placement decision.
The student will be 15 months from their most recent calc.
We could go back and forth on this but my son was advised by kids at Col School of Mines to repeat all engineering core classes. He should have heeded the advice although he did graduate with a solid, not spectacular GPA.
Back to OP - the overall portfolio and schools applied matter but since they are way ahead - there will likely be lots of schools for the student.
I think the OP will be fine. Many schools even if you had Calc do recommend starting with “their” Calc. Having a great foundation of Calc can’t be understated. But also many kids start at Calc 1 anyway. Some might assume grade grubbing but every kid I know that had high school Calc then retook in college is glad that they did since university Calc tends to go deeper and your understanding needs to be greater regardless. Every engineer I have spoken to personal told me the same thing but… Watch out for Calc 2, which is usually a weed out class… Lol. In the scheme of things over 4 years either approach would most likely produce an engineer graduate.
Let’s see the score the student gets. Easy to say my teacher stinks, hence my C, but I’ll get a 5.
Not sure we can say either way will most likely produce, because depending on the study, 40-60% of those who start in engineering don’t finish in engineering. Of course, that includes all students and schools, not just the ‘names.’
We’ll know more about this student if they come back and share more about their profile and desires.
You’ll get into some of those even with a C. You’ve composed a nice, balanced list.
As for repeating classes, nothing will tell you whether or not you are ready to move on than @ucbalumnus’s old test method. As the school for old tests and take them timed. If you’re rusty, brush up on Kahn and move on. Totally lost, or can’t do the pace, repeat. If it’s no problem, you’re ready.
The advantages of not repeating are huge, especially if you use the same method for Physics and can start in Physics II.
You might be able to graduate early. 2) You might get a MS in the time most get a BS. 3) You can take fewer classes during the terms when you have a very demanding course. 4) you can still get out on time if you fail a class and have to repeat it.
My son did 2) and 3) and ended up with a very high GPA. Skipping Calc I and II, plus Physics I was only beneficial for him.
Assuming all are the same number of credits and that your school doesn’t use +/- in their calculation, that’s a 3.86.
That along with your current test scores should get you into a lot of the schools on your list. Michigan, Illinois, A&M, VT and probably Maryland and Purdue would be reaches (wild guessing). RPI, WPI, and ER are probably matches. The rest should be likely admits.
Again, what about this. RPI and Rose will be wildly different than Iowa State and Illinois for example.
I agree with @tsbna44 on budget. Just because you can afford something, for AE especially, it doesn’t mean you should spend the extra. There are so few ABET accredited AE programs, that the top employers are the same for all the schools, from the unknowns to the powerhouses. You can use the money saved for other things. Whatever you do, don’t go into debt.