<p>I have had straight A's in all my other classes (well two A-'s), but in Spanish I have consistently gotten B's. I am so bad at Spanish it's infuriating. My extracurriculars are very good, and I'm taking the most rigorous courses my school has to offer. How badly does this hurt my chances of getting in anywhere (UCs, Claremonts, Stanford…) and should I take Spanish senior year? Also any tips on getting my Spanish grade up, or my gpa up somehow?</p>
<p>What year of Spanish is it and how much time do you spend on the study of it?</p>
<p>Its all three years of Spanish I’ve taken, and I spend a lot of time studying for it. More then an hour a day.</p>
<p>Yes, it will hurt you. Stanford accepted 5% of its applicants last year and will probably accept less this year. If you have a B, there better be a real good application otherwise to make up for it. I don’t think one B will hurt you too much elsewhere.</p>
<p>The way to make it work for you is to do whatever it takes this summer to ensure that you get an A in Spanish next year. Then you can talk in your application about how Spanish was incredibly hard for you, and yet you showed your determination to overcome the challenge and succeed. Dropping it is a bad idea - selective schools want to see 4 years of a language. So, I would rank your options from best to worst in this order:
- Keep doing Spanish and get an A after some intensive summer work in the subject
- Keep doing Spanish and keep getting Bs
- Stop doing Spanish</p>
<p>Yes; last year I believe Stanford’s admissions rate was 4 percent (I have not revalidated this figure and I rely on my memory). Accordingly, they deny superstars with absolutely distinguished records. However, this does not mean you are certain to be rejected, rather that – to reply to your specific question – it will “hurt your chances.”</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback everyone, especially baltimoreguy. One question though, how will schools see my senior first semester Spanish grade? Would it help to take a community college spanish course? Also what course should I take? For example should I take a Spanish 4 course so I can retake it again senior year or take a Spanish 4 course to get a grade and then take no Spanish 4 course senior year?</p>
<p>I have no idea. But I can tell you that my daughter, who had straight As, a 2340 SAT and was a legacy, was denied in 2013. And she was one of many with equally good stats who did not get in. It’s best to have a back up plan. You should apply to Stanford, but have other schools that you’d like to attend on your list!</p>
<p>There’s no way to know without knowing a lot more about you. What is the grading like at your school and what does a B mean in context? Do you have something special about you that Stanford wants? What sort of school do you attend and how have admissions gone there historically? How are you viewed in and out of your school context? Do you have exceptional letters of recommendation? </p>
<p>There are kids like the one in post 6 who easily have the qualifications to be admitted and you scratch your head over the result but you also have kids who have records just like yours and are admitted. There’s really no way to tell. I like baltimoreguy’s advice. Stick with it, ask your teacher for help in finding ways to improve, do your best to get that A. While you’re doing that, make sure you also focus on what you love and be sure to look for a broad range of schools that offer you the sort of experience you want. </p>