<p>My senior year has been absolute chaos. With 5 AP classes, an advanced art, two heavily-involved ECs, low-income, an hour distance between school and home... it's starting to get a bit too much.</p>
<p>My grades that just came in:</p>
<p>AP Literature - B
AP Spanish - C
AP Calculus - B
AP Government - C
Advanced Art - B AP Physics - D</p>
<p>None of these grades really bother me... except AP Physics. I have to admit that this has got to be the most difficult course of all APs. Before my physics final, I managed to pass a test on thermodynamics/heat/pressure with a 74%. That would definitely raise my grade from a 68% (D+) to a 69 or 70% (C-). </p>
<p>Unfortunately, I think I totally bombed the final. Would my colleges understand the enormous amount of pressure I had to face? By no means am I going to drop physics.... I strive to get at least a B this semester. But will colleges flat out reject me after seeing the D? Or will they appreciate the fact that I took steps to work harder in physics?</p>
<p>BTW... I've been working very diligently during my entire high school years.</p>
<p>Did u already apply or are you still applying. If u have already applied than u shouldn't have any worries. If you have to apply it may hurt u but they may also think that it is just a case of senioritis. All in all it shouldn't have that big of an effect.</p>
<p>I have the same problem. Im taking 5 APs right now, and I'm not doing to well. I have to help out my parents at their work part time, since they lost their only worker. I also foolishly took two college courses. The academic pressure combined with the trouble at home has taken a huge toll on me. </p>
<p>here are my grades
AP Psych: B (had an A, but didn't do some hw and dropped to a B...)
AP Lit: B (fell asleep through an essay and got a 0)
AP Chem: (C..chem is so hard!)
AP Gov: A (only easy class)
AP Calc AB: C+
French 4: C</p>
<p>i'm stressing out because i might get a below 3.0 gpa this semester, and I don't want my admissions revoked. Will they take my rigorous courseload into consideration? I'm thinking about dropping my community college classes..</p>
<p>
[quote]
Did u already apply or are you still applying. If u have already applied than u shouldn't have any worries. If you have to apply it may hurt u but they may also think that it is just a case of senioritis. All in all it shouldn't have that big of an effect.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I already applied. I think I may have good reasons to worry because most of the colleges I applied to require that I submit my senior year grades.</p>
<p>I'm really surprised that you're having more difficulty with Physics than with Calculus. I think colleges will appreciate that you're trying to push yourself by taking the hardest courseload possible, but you also have to work within your limits. The important thing is to make sure they don't think you have senioritis. I'm having a similar problem- my grades are definitely lower senior year than all 3 previous years, but my senior year courses are by far the hardest. </p>
<p>What can I say except to do your absolute best, use your time efficiently, and go to lots of extra help!</p>
<p>bump..my grades arent so well either..i'm getting two C's and the rest B's..[hopefully..not sure] and I know it's gonna be below a 3.0 and I'm afraid the UC's will revoke my admission??...should I just drop one AP class? or just do a WHOLE lot better in the spring and then explain to them that I improved? thanks!</p>
<p>christalena2- that makes me feel better about my Physics C avg being over 10 pts higher than my Calc BC avg. :D</p>
<p>At my school Calculus is perceived to be much harder, but our AP Physics teacher is absolutely incredible. I'm very thankful to have had him teach me for the past two years. So it definitely goes go school by school, I guess.</p>
<p>"At my school Calculus is perceived to be much harder, but our AP Physics teacher is absolutely incredible. I'm very thankful to have had him teach me for the past two years. So it definitely goes go school by school, I guess."</p>
<p>hah, it's the EXACT opposite here. Im not in physics (i did have it on my registration card, but decided not to do it at the last minute...whew!). The calc BC teacher is absolutely amazing, and the physics teacher is crazy hard (people like him, just not his teaching). You take physics for two years? Here, you go straight into AP physics...maybe that's why people are having trouble with it.</p>
<p>At my school AP Physics is way harder than AP Calc. Both teachers are very good (My Calc teacher has a 97% passage rate on the AP Test)....but Physics is supposed to be ridiculous, which is why I'm not taking it next year.</p>
<p>ahhh i might get below a 3.0 gpa this sem..i'm really freaking out. Ive just about given up hope of going to my dream school because i don't have spectacular grades or test scores..and now my gpa will kill me..</p>
<p>I know at my S school last year a kid got a D in Physics the second semester and UCSD cancelled his acceptance. When the guidance counselor called them with the hardship story they said, "We get about 100 of these calls a day now that senior grades are out. Sorry, but we have many more seniors waiting who did not get a D." UCSC did the same. I understand not a problem at some of the liberal arts schools. The kick in the butt is that many of these courses are not even required for admission.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the school and what you want to major in. If you want to major in literature and you get a D in your senior english class you might have problems. If you get a D in AP physics though they might not care as much, because they didnt accept u on your science prowess. All in all I think it all depends on why they admitted you also. What do you plan on majoring in.</p>
<p>Some schools' admissions offices encourage you to submit extra information after the app deadline (others forbid it). Since you have extenuating circumstances that arose subsequent to applying, you might want to explore whether you should send a short letter to the school explaining those circumstances. If you do proceed with this letter, ensure that it doesn't sound whiny, but instead focuses on your hard work, resilience and character through trying times. </p>
<p>Perhaps some sage parents on this board (I'm a parent, but new this year to college admissions) will have some better advice. Regardless, ask your guidance counselor.</p>
<p>BTW, in my sons' HS, AP Calc is taught by a very strict teacher who single-handedly hopes to eliminate grade inflation (he's received his first C). Interestingly, her students' historical record on the AP exam is 4.6, indicating a preponderance of 5's, followed by a proliferation of 4's. She must be doing something right.</p>
<p>You guys are not in that bad of a position. Imagine, in my Math class (IB HL 2) only 2 students have D's, the rest are all failing (class of 10).
Keeping in mind these are practically the 10 best mathematics students in the school, the class is challenging. Too bad our teacher grades so harshly, but at least we learn a lot.</p>
<p>haha ap physics (its really advanced physics, the ap test is optional) here is like, 'we already know this--lets do fun labs and talk about astronomy' where as ap calc (bc and ab) is like 'OHMYGOD IF YOU DONT GET A FIVE YOU WILL DIE AND NOT GO TO COLLEGE' (only about 4 kids out of 40 got something other than a five last year, and the test is required.</p>
<p>to reply though, write the colleges a letter explaining your situation. they will review it with your app.</p>
<p>Given your GPA, some colleges might find your grades to be alarming -- not only the D, but the Cs, too. Since you've already applied to these colleges, you might want to try to relax your load and cut out some of the ECs to focus more on improving your grades. I agree with the above poster in that you should probably send a letter to the colleges explaining the circumstances.</p>