<p>I’m currently in my senior year and I am taking 6 AP courses. Though it’s too early in the year here is my progress:
Psych:A
Calc: B
Chem B
Span: B
English: B-
Gov: A
Regular Physics: A</p>
<p>How would you guys view these grades? I view them as being bad but they are AP! How would UofC view them?</p>
<p>How do they compare to your prior years grades? Up or Down? The trend is what is important. Chicago, like other selective highly academic colleges, want you to be taking increasingly challenging classes, and do well in them.</p>
<p>It depends if you have AP scores from previous years; if you don’t I would start to worry a bit since your grades indicate you are not handling them that well. For instance, my school used a 0-100 scale and I frequently received 88-92 type scores in most of my courses. Yet, by the end of my junior year I had already qualified for “Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction” in light of how many 4’s and 5’s I made. I addressed this explicitly in my application, noting that my persistent 80-85’s in English and biology represented rather rigorous grading given I made a 5 on their respective AP exams and destroyed the SAT II’s. </p>
<p>The bottom line is that if these are not a dip in your normal performance, you need to somehow make a compelling case that your school is just brutally tough by HS standards in marking its students. Six AP classes alone does not justify being a ‘B’ average student.</p>
<p>how/where are you supposed to make a compelling case?</p>
<p>There are other ways to indicate you are facing a challenging grading scheme. Overall you want to employ as many tactics as possible though. </p>
<p>Something like this in a recommendation letter works: </p>
<p>In an honors biology class of 33 students, which historically has been composed entirely of Ivy bound students, Sarah was one of but four students to earn an A- or better overall, and the only student to earn an A on the final examination. </p>
<p>Your guidance counselor could also point out exceptionally high SAT scores for your school, quite impressive if the 25%-75% band is better than the college to which you are applying. </p>
<p>Furthermore, class rank sometimes can be a good indicator. If you are a B+ student at some type of magnet or known feeder to leading colleges and your class rank is say 20% or so, you would not be in bad shape.</p>
<p>My hs sent in a school profile that shows what percentage are awarded what grades. While they don’t do class rank, it’s easy for admissions officers to decode what means what gradewise.</p>
<p>My school is definitely not a feeder for HYPSetc. IDK anyone at my school who can afford them so no one applies to them.<br>
I am a male and at my school, the top students are literally all girls. I don’t want to come off arrogant, but I feel that I’m one of the top male students in my class. And I know for a fact that I’m taking the most AP courses. IDK if that helps, either way, I’m still working on my school work.</p>