ED Senior Quarter Grades and AP Physics 1

RamenUniversity
Thu, 05 Feb 2015 04:11:02 +0000

Hello all! Northwestern has been my top school for years now but the thing that makes me most nervous about applying ED to Northwestern is my uw GPA. Currently ( half-way through Junior Year ) my uw GPA is a 3.5. I have an enormous upward trend - went from a 2.9-3.0 freshman year to nearly a 4.0 in both sophomore and junior years. Rank went from 273/819 - > 102/819. It is very likely that I will make the top 10% because I am excelling in my AP Humanities/Psych classes ( 97+).

One B can seriously make or break me at this point because I got so many B’s and C’s from freshman year.
Although I am doing excellently in three of my AP classes, AP Physics 1 is killing me. I got a 68 on my first test ( went up to an 86 after the curve, though ). This is my first physics class ever and I have no effing clue wth is going on. Literally EVERYONE seems to be getting it more than me, I feel like the biggest idiot in the class. I am excellent in math, so I don’t understand why I am doing so poorly. I really don’t have any interest in science classes and I plan to major in Anthro and Math if I get into NU.

If I can get an A in physics, my GPA can propel up to a 3.7 by the end of junior year and reach a 3.8 by the first quarter of senior year. If I get a B in physics my GPA will be a 3.62 by the end of junior year and will barely reach 3.7 by the end of senior year.

AP Physics stresses me out so much and I hate every second I spend in that class.

TLDR: So all I have are two questions:
A) Is it okay if I just take regular physics this year, and then take AP Physics 1 or AP Bio senior year? Will NU look down on me for dropping it? I don’t think I will make an A in this class. I’m already taking three other AP classes ( english, history, psych ) I’m just not a very physics-minded guy.
B) Does NU calculate look at senior quarter grades for early decision? My school updates transcripts every quarter. Will they compare my old transcript to my quarter grade transcript?

P.S - I’m also asian and my ACT is a 33 cumulative ( science was by far my lowest score lol. Would have gotten a 34 if it weren’t for science )