Would dropping a class 2nd semester look bad?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Minnesota
1

I am a senior in high school, and I am currently taking AP Calculus AB. I’m not a math person and it’s been pretty difficult for me this year… right now I have a C+ in the class. I’m hoping I can get it up by the end of the semester, but I’m not sure.

I’ve heard it only gets harder 2nd semester, and I’m honestly thinking about dropping the class after this semester and replacing it with something else. I applied to UMN November 7th, and have yet to hear back – do you think dropping this class could hurt my admissions chances? I would want to replace it with a class on the same rigor level… just not math-related.

I guess what looks really bad about it is that I wrote in my app about how math was a struggle for me, and that’s why my grades in math have never been as high as in other subjects… but that I took AP Calc this year to challenge myself despite that. I have straight As across the board in all my other classes. It’s just this one pesky class… I thought I’d be able to do well if I really applied myself this year, but it just doesn’t seem to click in my brain.

Any advice? Think I should stick it through and potentially get a not-so-great grade, or drop the class next semester for something I know I can do much better in?

2

I think you should stick it through, but don’t let that C+ go any lower. If you get in, you run the risk of being rescinded if your Senior year grades have a significant drop compared to previous years. However, if it’s a drop like from one letter to another for one class, then you should be just fine. Dropping a class especially a core one like math will get your rescinded even if you replace it with a class just as hard since it’s a core subject and you’re showing them that you can’t handle it.