<p>sybbie, thanks for saying so eloquently what I was trying to say. Your last two sentences are particularly important. There is no extra credit for homework, class participation, etc. Lots of classes where there is a midterm and a final and that is the grade. This is not high school. A lot of students, even those from highly competitive high schools, are surprised by college grading.<br>
That is not to say that the OP’s child cannot pull off a 3.5, I just wanted to point out that she should be realistic and be prepared in case she doesn’t.</p>