how important is it?

College Admissions
#1

<p>so basically i'm a junior in high school (senior next year) and i've had a 4.0 freshman and sophomore year and can get another 4.0 this junior year if i can pull off an A on the final fourth quarter and on the final in AP english. currently, I have an 88.95% in the class but i'm not too sure if i'll be able to get it up to an A. i really want the 4.0, and my dad keeps making a big deal between a 4.0 and a 3.95. </p>

<p>basically, should i tell my english teacher my situation with the 4.0 and everything to assist my chances of getting an A fourth quarter and on the final (her tests are pretty hard, only got a B on the midterm). also, i know this sounds arrogant and what not, but should i tell her that i want to apply to some of the top colleges and mention stuff relevant to english like my 800 on the writing section of the SAT?</p>

#2

<p>I think you know that what you're asking about doing is inappropriate. I'm sorry your dad is putting pressure on you, but asking your teacher to give you a grade based on anything outside of the work you've done in her class is not the right thing to do.</p>

<p>No, .05 is not important enough to lose your integrity over.</p>

#3

<p>like i don't want to ask her for the grade, i wanted to ask her for extra credit, but she hasn't really given much extra credit during the year and i don't know if she would offer extra credit. so basically i was thinking about telling her my situation as an impetus to offer me extra credit to try to maintain an A</p>

#4

<p>You're asking her to take into consideration your 'situation' and based on that provide an opportunity for you to obtain a grade that you might not have gotten under normal circumstances. That doesn't sound unethical (both for you to ask and her to do it) to you?</p>

#5

<p>hmm ok so would it be "ethical" to forget telling her about anything about my situation and just ask her for any opportunities for extra credit?</p>

#6

<p>Yes, I would just say ask for extra credit. If she says yes, then great.
If she says no, just explain why you need it, and she might reconsider.</p>

#7

<p>@gecko - have you been in a similar situation? if so- how did it turn out?</p>

#8

<p>Don't debase yourself by doing this. Every grade you earn should be a measure of your class work, and nothing more. By lowering yourself to ask for grades based upon work you've done outside of class, you are asking a teacher not to grade you on the merit of your classwork. That's deplorable.</p>

<p>Let your 800 and 88.5% speak for themselves. If the teacher is a difficult one, have your GC mention the rigor of your English program in his/her rec for you next year.</p>

#9

<p>would it be O.K to ask her if getting a 5 on the exam could change the grade to an A? or would that be deplorable as well?</p>

#10

<p>Just do your best on the final exam and accept the results graciously. When it comes time to write letters of recommendation, your teachers may not reflect kindly on grade-grubbing. That could hurt you more than 1 or 2 B's.</p>

<p>Grade-grubbing is not deeply immoral in the scheme of things. But it is unattractive and speaks poorly for your sense of balance. It's o.k. to be competitive but part of being competitive is learning how to deal with set-backs. The right way is not to ask the referee/teacher to reverse the outcome based on your excellent performance in other events.</p>

#11

<p>Your dad is wrong to make a big deal out of this. This one grade isn't going to be the deciding factor for admissions.</p>

<p>What is he worried about - acceptance to Harvard? Even kids with straight As get denied.</p>

#12

<p>well i mean it really isn't a big deal... i'm fine with getting one b for my transcript but basically now that i think over it, it really isn't a big deal anymore because yeah, i don't think getting a 3.95 will be a huge difference from a 4.0. i'm just gonna let the rest of the school year play out and see what happens.</p>

#13

<p>1) Don't be under the mistaken assumption that only 4.0 students are viable candidates for top schools. I got a handful of Bs and got into all schools applied, eventually matricualating at an HYP (and I'm Asian too! Yikes)
2) While it might not happen, if I were a teacher and a student asked me for a favor because he/she thought of their GPA as being more valuable since they were on track for more selective colleges, I'd be offended. I think you're wise in just trying your best, asking for any additional ways to boost your grade-- and then letting things alone like you've said.</p>

<p>Good luck to you.</p>

#14

<p>To get an A (versus an A-), wouldn't you need to have a final grade of 93+? That seems impossible from your current position. Let it be.</p>

#15
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