I am very worried about getting rescinded. I was accepted and plan on going to Colorado School of Mines. My grades are all good except for AP Physics C, which I am failing. My first semester grades were fine. My schedule is very rigorous. Here are my second semester grades so far:
AP Computer Science- 5
Multivariable Calculus Honors (dual enrollment with University of Illinois)- 5
AP English Lit- My teacher hasn’t put any grades in (he is very disorganized and he procrastinates) but I’m sure I’m doing fine
Engineering Graphics - 5
Gym- 5
AP Physics- 1
I honesty have no good explanation for why I am going so poorly in that class. It’s not that I have senioritis but I here are the reasons I could come up with
I am terrible at Physics
My mental health is suffering (I haven’t seen a doctor but I should because I think I am suffering from anxiety and depression. Much to do with this class. I stress about it every day).
My teacher sucks. I know this is on me and I shouldn’t blame anyone or anything else, but spare me as I go on a quick rant. I honestly haven’t had such a bad teacher in all of my high school existence. The lectures are terrible (he is a complete narcissist and he teaches like he is trying to prove how smart he is rather than actually make us understand the material. And for the record, he is the most naturally dumb teacher I’ve ever had. All he can do is memorize formulas. Once he forgot the integral of 2x.)The notes are disorganized. He gives us worksheets and never gives us keys to check our work. He gives us webassigns that have nothing to do with the test. Right after we finish the lecture notes, instead of him giving us good in class practice, he calls us up randomly to present AP free response problems in front of the entire class and gives us a grade on it. It’s not helpful because he should be teaching us, not other kids in the class that are just as clueless as me. We just learned the material.
Low effort. At least on the surface it is low effort but not in reality. I literally have notebooks filled with practice problems and outside notes because his are unusable but I always seem to study the wrong thing for the test. I get extremely demotivated when I try to do any work for this class which has resulted in my performance jusr going more and more downhill. I am trying to bring it up but there’s only one test left in the year so I don’t think I can. But I am still willing to do everything and anything to bring my grade up.
Anyway. I am very worried I don’t know what I would do if I got rescinded. I am also so ashamed because I’ve never even gotten a c before. This grade does not reflect who I am whatsoever. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation- doing well in all classes but failing 1? Should I be worried about being rescinded? I know most will say I should email the admissions and ask. What should I say?
Also- It’s worth noting that I got a merit scholarship. Should I be worried about losing it?
Another note- I am majoring in computer science.
First, human beings do not get rescinded. So, no, you will not be rescinded, even if you fail every class.
OTOH, offers of admission can certainly be rescinded. The usual mantra here at CC is no D’s, no F’s, no felonies. So yes, if I’m not familiar with the grading scale you’re using, but I believe you that you’re failing physics. A bad teacher can certainly make it harder to succeed and I sympathize. My son is taking AP Chem this year and his teacher is very bad, so he spends a lot of time on Khan Academy. That last part is important. Yes, of course, your teacher should be teaching well and grading fairly. But sometimes people don’t do their job. If a reasonable level of success is important to you here, you will have to make up for the teacher’s poor performance. Is everyone in the class doing as badly as you are? If so, I’d urge a group visit to the principal. Surely the school doesn’t want the embarrassment of an entire class failing. It won’t look good. If some people are doing decently, talk to them. What are they doing differently? Are they using Khan Academy? A review book? A study group? Have they figured out some way to deal with the teacher and his teaching style that is eluding you? Also, you’ve been accepted at a very good school, which suggests you did well in this class first semester. What has changed?
The next thing I’m about to say is going to be very annoying, but it’s really more for future students who may read this. It would have been better to address this early in the semester. If you’ve waited until there’s only one test left, it’s going to be very difficult to pull the grade up to where you need it to be, unless it’s a test with a lot of weight. Actually, it’s good advice for your future, too. If you’re clearly headed for trouble with a class in college, don’t wait until the last minute to try to fix the problem. Go get help and advice as soon as it’s clear that you’re on the wrong track.
As for what to say to admissions, I’d talk with your GC first. S/he should know what the right approach is. Perhaps a 4 or a 5 on the AP combined with your good first semester grade will be enough? Maybe the college will only look at the final grade for the year and if the the good first semester grade is strong enough, you’ll manage an acceptable grade for the year? I don’t know, but your GC should have a clue.
If you fail physics you would risk having your acceptance rescinded. I don’t know of your college has any specific guidelines (you can check online) but the general rule is to avoid D’s and F’s in terms of grades. At this point I would suggest doing everything possible to bring the grade up to a C – look at online Resources from Khan Academy, get a tutor if needed. If you need to see a mental health professional for your anxiety/depression/motivation then do so ASAP.
It is very uncommon for schools to rescind admission based on one grade… I’m concerned some of the other posters are overly alarming you. If you were experiencing “seniorits” and falling off in all your classes you might risk losing your place, but it’s unlikely they would rescind your offer based on one class. I worked in and with Universities for years and, trust me, they understand that you are human. It is in your best interest to be up front with the school and let them know now that there may be a problem. What will most likely happen is they may ask you to explain the situation and then put you on academic probation for the first semester or year. Make sure you keep the rest of your grades up. Most importantly, take care of yourself. It’s just one bad grade and one bad teacher, not the end of the world. Universities are far more concerned about moral infractions as a general rule (I.e. felony convictions or plagiarism). We all have mis-steps once in a while, it’s ok.
One more thought, if there is a local community college near you, they likely offer physics as a summer course. I know you “hate physics” but if you’re going to a STEM school like Mines physics is going to be part of the deal. Registering to take the class over the summer would prove to Mines that you can handle the course (because we all know you’ll do better next time), while simultaneously giving you a strong foundation in physics. Community colleges are a great resource and Mines will likely appreciate the initiative