I am a senior next semester, and I failed both semesters of AP Calc BC this year. Should I even I bother applying to any of the UCs or Cal Polys?
My current GPA: Weighted 3.67
APs taken: Euro Hist (3) , Calc AB (4) , Calc BC (not received yet) , US Hist (not received yet)
APs next year: Stats, Gov and Politics, Macro Econ
SAT: 750 Math, 650 Reading and Writing, 16 on Essay
SAT Subject: Math 2: 720 , US History: 640
3 Year Cross Country and Track and Field Athlete
1 officer position: VP in FBLA club
Do you plan to retake the course during the summer or Senior year? Summer would be the best option since that will replace your F’s in your UC/CSU GPA calculation.
Based on 2017 admit rates for the UC’s and Cal Poly’s, you would have a chance at UC Merced, Riverside and Cal Poly Pomona. I would also include UC Santa Cruz as a High Match/Low Reach and UCI/UCD and/or UC Santa Barbara as Reach schools.
I would concentrate on some competitive Cal States such as SDSU/CSULB/CSU Fullerton/SJSU to a name a few and look for 2 solid safety schools.
The course cannot be taken during summer at my school and I don’t want my GPA is be furthered lowered again if I take BC again. Even if I do take the class, my counselors told me it won’t replace the F’s, I would only receive the credit for taking the class.
Since summer is not an option and applications are due end of November, you can not replace the F’s but the UC’s and CSU’s would see your Senior course schedule and would note you are retaking the class, unfortunately the F’s remain on your application and are calculated into your UC/CSU GPA. I see no harm in applying to these schools but just have realistic expectations.
…all of this is assuming you are a California resident.
You should still apply as others have said, just pick the campuses with lower selectivity. That being said, adcoms are going to have some questions, - how did you get a 4 in the AB AP, a 750/720 on the Math/2 SAT and get a F in BC? And if you took BC as a junior, was that the course recommended by the GC or did you go against their and your teacher’s recommendation? The issue with getting a bad grade in an AP class is not the grade itself (not good), but that you didn’t show great judgement when selecting classes (bad).
I don’t want to pile on as I also made some bad judgements as a teenager, but you’ll have to explain all this in the open section of the UC/CSU app.