<p>Hello. I am a current junior and over the last two years I have made entirely As and one B+. I take a rigorous course load with APs. This year, I have made all As in every class except Calculus BC. I had an 84 for the first quarter and I currently have a 75.5% this quarter, though with make-ups that will be at least a 76.5% and at most an 80.1%, though the second scenario is pretty unlikely. Considering my other grades, how much will this hurt my chances of going to top schools?</p>
<p>Sounds like this class is your opportunity to show that you can work through a challenging course. One B won’t kill you, but do what you can to avoid a C. You also want to make sure your overall future application isn’t just focussed on grades, as there is a lot more to an application besides a bunch of A’s. (SAT, SAT II’s, leadership, strong ECs, etc.)</p>
<p>Grades are only one aspect of the application process. Recs, ECs, SAT/ACT score, where you are applying and where you are from.</p>
<p>You have the entire rest of the year to get that grade up to a B, B+ or A. It’s good that you are acknowledging the fact that you need to improve it at this time. Consider going during the teacher’s office hours for extra help/clarifications, or if your teacher or another who teaches the same course has before or after school reviews or extra help sessions, take advantage of those! How about getting a tutor? If your school has a Math Honor Society or National Honor Society, sometimes they will offer you a student tutor at school for free. Or at least recommend a student tutor for out of school that will likely cost around $20-$25 an hour. If you’d like a teacher as a tutor, it’s usually about $100-$125 an hour for Calc BC. Ask your teacher if any of the teachers in the math department tutor for Calc BC, or if s/he knows anyone else who could do it.</p>
<p>Also, try watching math tutorials online. Youtube has some great ones. PatrickJMT and Khan Academy are two AMAZING posters on Youtube with very easy-to-understand math tutorials on almost every aspect of Calc BC. Awesome tips and tricks to make complicated calc seem much simpler! I swear by PatrickJMT videos before every big math test.</p>