Hi! I’m having a bit of a crisis in terms of my future, so any advice would be much appreciated
I’m a sophomore at a top public high school, and I have gotten straight A’s while taking the most challenging course load of AP and IB courses available to me for the past four years. This year, although final semester grades have not been posted yet, I’ll likely be earning a C+ or maybe a B (along with A’s in all of my other classes) in IB Algebra 2/3, which is a notoriously one of the most demanding and challenging math classes at the school (it’s essentially covering two years of math in one). There are a few main reasons as to why this unusual bad grade popped up:
My Algebra 1 curriculum from middle school not preparing me well for the class
Extra heavy involvement in extra-curricular activities compared to last year and learning how to balance it all (fall musical, choir, debate team, National Honors Society and volunteering associated with it, and a one act play)
And, I’m not proud to admit it, but I’ve never faced adversity in the way that I have with this class, and I automatically tried to avoid it in the first couple months of the semester and instead focused on my other classes/activities.
Switching to the less challenging Advanced Algebra 2 is off the table, because I do enjoy math, and the math itself in this class isn’t too difficult, it’s just balancing the amount of work (at least 1.5 hours of homework a night) and time I have to put into the class with everything else on my plate. But I’m absolutely determined to get an A next semester (which is also supposedly easier than first semester). I’ve already decided to minimize my commitments for next semester by not auditioning for the spring play, which will give me much more time to focus on math and hopefully do much better.
Assuming that I do get an A next semester as well as straight A’s (and maybe the very occasional B) for the rest of my high school career, sticking to the most challenging IB Diploma course load, how much do you think that this one C+ will affect my chances of getting into Yale?
I know it’s hard to predict the future without looking at my entire profile, but I’m just looking for some reassurance here.
If you don’t get into Yale it won’t be because of one C+ sophomore year. That said, I’d recommend that you give up the idea of Yale as some kind of a dream school. The people I see who get hurt by the college admission process are the ones who focus on one or two hyper-competitive schools and then don’t get in. A school like Yale with an admission rate well under 10% has to turn away many exceedingly well qualified applicants. Recognize that there are tons of amazing colleges and universities out there so when the time comes cast a wide net and find a group of colleges (reach, match, and safety) that you would love to attend.
It’s not necessarily the C+ that’s going to hurt you, it’s that to score well on the ACT or SAT math section you have too be very solid in Algebra 2 concepts. So instead of worrying about a low grade, focus more on learning the material you are struggling with. That will pay off more in the long run
Yes! I’m going for Math SL (while taking AP Calculus BC). I also should’ve mentioned that I’m planing to major in history, political science, or journalism in college, so not anything math-heavy.
Yes! I’m going for Math SL (while taking AP Calculus BC). I also should’ve mentioned that I’m planing to major in history, political science, or journalism in college, so not anything math-heavy.
Even with straight A’s all through high school, odds of admission to Yale for the unhooked are never strong. That said, your course rigor looks excellent and I expect you’ll be a viable candidate for Yale and other great schools. Good luck!
I majored in journalism and work in politics. While Yale is indisputably one of the top universities in the country, it is not one of the top 10 for journalism. What’s done is done. Just keep working hard and you will find another road to your Rome.
Congratulations on the B. Now you can concentrate on choosing other schools because the reality is you most likely will not be attending Yale. Sorry, but someone had to say it. If the acceptance rate is 10% (and I think it is lower), there are 9 out of 10 students with grades equal or better than yours that will not get in. Its a dream. A good dream. Keep it. Try. Don’t count on it. Find other schools that you would like to attend that are in the 20-40% acceptance rate. Assuming you maintain a 4.0 which might be difficult with that B, finish the IB diploma, have decent ECs, and can afford full-pay, those are the schools you will most likely be attending.
