<p>Sorry if this seems paranoid and whiny. I have been crying myself hoarse for the last few days, my self-esteem has taken a huge plummet, and I really don’t know what to do anymore. Please help me…</p>
<p>Long story short. In junior year I took AP Physics C: Mech. I had never had prior instruction in physics. I am one of those artsy hippie people who write poems, paint landscapes, and want to major in English. Both of my parents (English majors and later English professors) had taken physics in high school and failed. So you see I am very off-balance academic-wise. Basically I suffered the entire year in AP Physics, couldn’t understand anything the teacher said, and failed every test. It took others 3 seconds to comprehend a new concept; it took me 4-5 hours of self-study at home. (I tried asking my friend, who was the only other junior in the class, to tutor me, but she soon grew impatient and pronounced me dumb.) And I was dumb; I refused to drop down to honors level because my pride had gotten the better of me, and I believed that if I wasn’t taking the highest level possible, then my peers would look down on me. (Which is, essentially, true - I always feel intellectually inferior when I am around the top 10 people in my class.)
Miraculously, I managed to scrape a D in the end. (I also got a 2 on the AP exam, which surprised me because I thought I’d get a 1.)</p>
<p>In December I was rejected from my dream school. It hurt. But I was mortified when two of my safety schools deferred me as well. I called one of the safeties for an explanation, and the person pulled out my file and said, very nicely, “you’re a highly qualified candidate, in ordinary circumstances we would have definitely accepted you, but we’re concerned that you won’t be able to do well in college with a D on your transcript.”</p>
<p>So there you have it. I am convinced that come April I will be rejected from all my schools because of this. I know I’m not smart enough for the Ivies, but I thought maybe I could get into a top 50 school with my 2160 SAT, my top 15% rank, my 13 AP classes and my 4 ECs. But apparently the D has ruined me.</p>
<p>Am I destined for community college, then? Is there hope left yet? Please help…</p>
<p>Make sure that you apply to schools that are less competitive than are the safeties that deferred you.</p>
<p>Court the schools that deferred you: get extra recommendations, follow-up with a letter underscoring your interest in the college, and explaining your “D” including what you learned from that experience. For instance, presumably, you learned that it’s better to drop a course or take an easier course than to struggle through and just get a D. You also may have learned about the importance of getting tutoring if a course is very difficult for you.</p>
<p>Make sure that your grades remain very strong as the colleges that deferred you will be watching your grades carefully to find out if that “D” was just a fluke.</p>
<p>People do get into 4 year colleges with a D on their transcript. </p>
<p>I’m very sorry to hear about your situation. I don’t think community college is your only option. However, I do think you should probably find one or two real, true safeties with Jan 15 deadlines and get apps in to them. Quick! My niece had a D, several C’s, and was still accepted at plenty of colleges. Your world is not coming to an end. It will work out OK. Go see your GC and get busy!</p>
<p>If you got deferred, they likely want to make sure that “D” was a one-time thing, and need your senior grades to reassure them. I would certainly not expect the worst when you hear back.</p>
<p>YES. I really think thats all they are looking for, reassurance. It is particularly good, if you are taking same or higher level courses than you did last year. You are already “highly qualified” according to them, and your grades this year will show that you are ready. They know things like getting one “D” can happen, but they also know some people aren’t prepared- they just need to see which one you are.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry. My kids’ HS really pushes AP classes and I’m really down on them. So you took a college level course when you were a junior and didn’t do well. Hello, you were two years younger than colllege age. It’s terrible that the schools would hold that against you.</p>
<p>but, but, but…how elso to separate out the students than a course with a standardized exam? Raise your hand if you have heard this from an Admissions Director “if your high school offers AP courses, we expect that you’re taking them”. Bear in mind you don’t have to take them all. If AP Physics appears as if it’s going to be a disaster for you, take something else. No sense shooting yourself in the foot. To the original poster, hang in there. stay in touch with the schools that deferred you and make sure they understand that the D was the result of an error in judgement and show them you senior grades. Good Luck!!</p>
<p>sorry to hear but did you ever explain why you got a D in the first place. I have failed a math course and right now i’m trying to explain to the admission officers what happened and why it happened</p>
<p>Exactly, I was totally ignorant about the level of difficulty of AP Physics and assumed it was just like any other AP class I’d taken. It has cost me dearly and I hope any juniors reading this won’t make the same mistake I did!</p>
<p>Bluenight-
Seems like you have an exceptional transcript and stats (other than the D in AP physics, which is likely one of the toughest AP classes)</p>
<p>If you are not going to major in engineering or a heavy science, it should not be a concern. You can write the admissions office and let them know this. You are obviously not a slacker (13 AP’s and are quite smart) and AP physics was just not your strong point. If you are set on the other schools and will need the physics, let them know you are willing to take it over the summer at a local college if need be, if this is a make or break decision in your acceptance. Personally, 1 poor grade, especially in AP phusics should be overlooked. </p>
<p>Call and write. Do what you can. Don’t blame yourself. Many kids (without any apparent reason) are being deferred from safe schools. I think there is an abundance of applications everywhere. </p>
<p>(You can always find blame, but what will be will be… My valedictorian son with all great stats, 13 APs, 4.0 UWGPA, ect. was waitlisted at schools courting him that should have been no lower than a match. First choice Ivy with incredible interview, wiatlisted. JHU- rejected, Stanford- rejected. No financial aid needed. My reason for telling you this is there are no real safeties. We knew that being a northeast male (long island) would hurt him as it states in many of the college books we have. In the end there are choices. You will get in somewhere and the d in AP physics may have little to do with your acceptances/deferrals and rejections. Don’t harp on it. (Hey, my sons 4.0 in AP physics didn’t help him get into his schools either, though my HS senior may get some benefit from his 4.0 in AP physics since he wants to go into engineering, but I hope at hte same time they’ll overlook his 3.0 in English (not his favorite subject.)</p>
<p>REMEMBER- there are no rejections, only acceptances, those are the only ones that matter. Hang in there.</p>