My son is taking 6 Ap as a Junior. He overestimated himself and failing AP Comp Science in the middle of the first semester as he didn’t have any background on this subject.He is doing good with all other AP classes but this particular class causing him anxiety and depression. He went to drop the class in the beginning of the semester but was told he he was 2 days late and it would show up on his transcript as withdraw fail meaning F on the transcript.
Any other options are available? His counselor didn’t really help.
Keep working with the counselor. Stress the mental health angle. It’s a very sensitive matter that they are attune to.
A counselor can override deadlines when they believe it is warranted. But always be respectful. You need their help. Do not talk about college chances etc. That doesn’t play as well with some counselors.
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If that’s a no go. Examine all your options for retakes.
If it’s that difficult on him emotionally and he has no chance to overcome with tutoring then drop and take the F. I’m Assuming it’s not needed to graduate as it’s not core. He likely has enough credits to graduate or can take a summer class.
Yes he’ll have an F but yes he’ll still get into a lot of great colleges.
But he overloaded and putting him in a healthier situation now is more important IMHO.
Unfortunately these kids are competing on # of APs when four or five even would have been a lot.
Good luck to your son. Life is long with some speed bumps but plenty of time to recover.
Have him see a professional who can document need to withdraw. Perhaps a medical withdrawal is possible without the F.
I am surprised. I thought kids could withdraw and get a W, not an F. Do you have to be passing to get a W? Is this a public school?
Mental health is most important here.
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The F could easily be explained in college apps but the hit to the GPA is unfortunate. You could ask if the school could compromise and put the class on hold for him to resume/retake as a senior, and not issue a grade this year? I’ve never heard of it as an option but maybe it won’t hurt to ask?
Regardless of how you manage the grade issue- this is a great opportunity to show your kid how to prioritize health over everything else. No job is worth debilitating anxiety. No relationship is worth ongoing depression.
You see so many young people (and middle aged people for that matter) self-medicating, sacrificing their health for a bigger bonus, more prestige, etc. It’s a good lesson to your son that you will ALWAYS be in his corner when he needs support to make his own sanity a priority.
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Yes, it’s a public school they have only 3 weeks to decide to withdraw, after this is withdraw fail and counselor just recommended going to library and get tutor. My son started this school 12 days later so he had only a week to decide. We worked with the son’s doctor to have it documented. Going to see vice principle tomorrow.
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Thank you for the great advice! That’s what we have learned from this situation.
If he started late, it seems like a special situation. Perhaps he could get accommodations to help him stay in the class, based on documentation from the doctor. Or perhaps they will make an exception to the F for withdrawal. Good luck tomorrow!
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