Hello everyone,
I am a high school senior that goes to a California public high school. For my test scores and overall GPA:
32 ACT
800 SAT II Math 2 C
800 SAT II [Language (sorry I didn’t want to be that specific because I want to keep this anonymous)]
3.91 unweighted GPA
4.08 weighted GPA
My current senior courses: (most possible grade for this first semester)
AP Gov - A
AP Lit - A
AP Calc BC - B
AP Chem - B
Hon Spanish 4 - A
Adv. Pre-med - F/D
For my school, if you earn a D or below you are automatically dropped for the second semester. So I won’t have that class anymore. Also, this is the last year of that class, so I won’t be able to retake it somehow… And I don’t think it’s quite possible to find a similar class in one of the community colleges (though it is about anatomy mostly). Oh, and there is a personal reason that I could use as my excuse (I’ve been in a severe car accident this past summer), but then they might wonder oh how come your other classes are ok?
I am super worried about my chances for UC’s. I just don’t want all my hard work gone just because of that one class that wasn’t even honors or AP. Even though it’s called “advanced,” it is not considered honors or AP on the a-g checklist. I have fulfilled the a-g courses and that pre-med class is over my a-g course list, so in other words, I didn’t need to take that class. (However, I did because my counselor recommended me to…and I am failing hard and truly regret this decision). Please please please help!!
I have talked to my counselor, and she said that it won’t matter that much since it’s counted as an elective class. But, I talked to a UCSD graduate and she said that the UC’s will most likely reject me. I’ve read reviews online and some were positive and some were negative. I am extremely worried. Please please please help if you can. I only applied to UC’s and CSU’s, and I was putting my whole faith into getting in. Should I apply to any private colleges?
I’ve thought of emailing the admissions of each campus individually and anonymously to ask about this. Is this something I should do? I did read about how one person emailed the UCSB admission and they said it won’t matter.
If anyone needs more information please ask! Thank you thank you so much in advance!!!
D’s or F’s in any Senior year course is a cause for having your acceptances rescinded. Since it is an non a-g course, it will be up to each UC and CSU on how they will handle it so I would be worried too. I can tell you that if you applied to SDSU, they specify on their website that you need a passing grade of C or higher even in non a-g courses to fulfill their provisional admission.
UC’s and CSU’s turn away so many competitive applicants so do not give them a reason to rescind your acceptance.
If you do end with a D or F, you need to contact each CSU with that information.
For the UC’s, here is the information::
Freshmen: If you change schools, add or drop a course, or fail to earn a C or better in a course after you submit your application, you must notify the UC Application Center by email or postal mail. Your correspondence must include your name, UC Application ID number and your signature (if you mail a letter), and will be available to all the campuses to which you applied.
If you receive an offer of admission, be sure to confirm with the campus admission office that they are aware of the deficient grade or schedule changes. Although you must notify the campus of these changes, we cannot guarantee that a campus can go back to review an application after correspondence has been received. Make sure to save a copy of your correspondence just in case.
Email: docs@applyUCsupport.net
Postal mail:
UC Application Center
P.O. Box 1432
Bakersfield, CA 93302
Hey!! What does it mean by “we cannot guarantee that a campus can go back to review an application after correspondence has been received”? So you’re saying I will most likely not get accepted or they will take away my acceptance? If i do get a D/F first semester, should I notify the UC’s immediately or when I get my results?
It means that although you contacted the UC’s about the deficient grade prior to their decisions being released, your admission decison may be already decided without knowing about the deficiency. So when you submit your final transcript, you could be rescinded. If you enroll in a UC prior to the May 1 deadline, you usually can update that UC with your Fall grades so you can get a decison if your acceptance will be rescinded which will give you time to accept another school. If you do get a D or F, just assume you will be rescinded based on the UC’s provisional admission.
I would rather contact them immediately with the deficient grade and know sooner than later if I would need to make other arrangements. Basically have a backup plan but try not to let it get to that point.
Ok, do you have any recommendations for me to do? I only applied to UC’s and CSU’s…
Which UC’s and CSU’s did you apply? Some are more lenient than others. Also notifying them early (directly to admissions) if you end up with a D or F, may help formulate a plan such as possibly retaking the course on-line or through the summer to maintain your admission.
I applied to all the UC’s except Merced, and 6 CSU’s (Pomona, Long Beach, Fullerton, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Channel Islands). Will they tell me what to do if I email them early?
So is your grade final? No way to do a Medical withdrawl so you do not have a D/F on the record or plead your case with your teacher or GC to try and get it up to at least a C-? Since Channel Islands is not an impacted CSU, they will probably let it slide. The rest of the UC’s and CSU’s will need to decide on a case by case basis. If the grade is final, all you can do is try to present your case to each school and see what happens.
What is in your favor, is your excellent GPA and test scores plus it is a non a-g course, so you might be to maintain your provisional admission at most of the schools, hopefully. I think by notifying them early will be an advantage. Best of luck.
What’s a medical withdrawl and GC? I don’t think it’s quite possible to get it to a C…
GC= Guidance Counselor
Medical Withdrawal: Where you would withdraw from the class due to medical issues and only get a W on your transcript vs. a D or F grade.
How could I get a medical withdrawal of only one class? and I did need some extra help like carrying books around campus because of the car accident (I broke some bones)… the counselor also said I could use that as the reason why I struggled the class because of the accident, but wouldn’t they wonder why are my other grades ok?
If your counselor is willing, they could state that due to medical issues and a high workload, you withdrew from the one class since it is not an a-g required course to concentrate on your other HS requirements
If your counselor is willing, they could state that due to medical issues and a high workload, you withdrew from the one class since it is not an a-g required course to concentrate on your other HS requirements
Oh ok thank you so much!! I really appreciate it!
Ok thank you so much! I’ll will talk to my counselor tomorrow
while district policies may vary somewhat, generally for a medical withdrawal, you will need something in writhing from a doctor.
@Gumbymom…I have a question…my d just informed me that she had bombed her Calc bc test and has a D in the class with not much hopes of passing it. Her councillor is advising her to drop the class. We are in quarter system so this is the final quarter. She has a C+ in the first quarter but overall weighted gpa of 4.0 (A in her other AP) Should she drop it this quarter? Sge called UCSC or UCR but they were not able to give her any definite answers. What should she do? She has done math all the way up to Calc AB as well as AP Stats and has B and 4’s.
@Twins2000: If she is able to drop the class, then it would look better than a D or F on the transcript. Either way she will have to call and follow up with an email about the class schedule change or the below C grade in the course. Most schools do not like to rescind, but UC’s can be tough on D’s and F’s. Schools usually do not give answers for what if’s until they see the transcript, so a withdrawl looks better than a D just make sure the school she SIR’s to has the documentation that the class was dropped.
@Gumbymom d dropped the class. Her councillor advised her to replace it with another academic class (not AP just regular) which she did. She has called and emailed the two colleges (one UC one private) that she is considering about the change in schedule . D will still go ahead and take the AP test and will aslo possibly take the course over summer. Keeping fingers crossed now…as usual thanks a ton for your prompt answer!!