<p>I’ve gotten all A’s and B’s in High school, never a C. But I got the biggest dick teacher, worked hard and got a D+, 60% of the class got a D+ or lower, guy should get fired. So anyways will this kill me when i apply to decent schools. I’m not applying to harvard, but ok schools like JMU FSU UD and Clemson. Will they look at that as maybe an outlier?</p>
<p>Is that a final grade or just a quarterly grade? If it’s one bad quarter, it doesn’t really matter because colleges just look at the final grade. Either way it’s gonna do some damage to your average.</p>
<p>its a final, it did some damage, but im still in the range for GPA because of my consistent A’s and B’s. Will the D+ look awful, can I explain my way out of it tho</p>
<p>If 60% of the class got a D+ or lower, it sounds like you need to talk to the principal. Is this a public school?</p>
<p>it wont work, ive tried. but what i want to know is can i explain myself in my essay persay and have them look over it to an extent and realize i wasnt slacking, (i got a tutor) I don’t want it to look like im not trying jr year and btw i have all a’s and b’s besides that.</p>
<p>I’m in the same boat, my school only has semester grades but I have a chance of getting a D for the semester, got a C last semester. Its my only C on my transcript and its an AICE class. I’m signed up at the local CC to take the course over and use grade forgiveness. It shows initiative and the colleges will average the 2 scores (called admissions and asked).</p>
<p>It really stinks, but those are my options, hoping to pull it up with 3 weeks left.</p>
<p>In your shoes, I’d ask the school to confirm the % of students who passed the class, and include that in your “Other Remarks”, or “Additional Comments” part of your college apps. I’d also consider re-taking the course either at HS or at a JC. Dick teachers should be fired. I’m surprised your Principal doesn’t intervene. Your Principal reports to a Board, you know. Advise your Principal that you’d like to take the issue up with the Board. That might get some action. If it doesn’t, then actually go to the Board. Always remember that EVERYONE, even the POTUS, reports to someone they don’t want to look bad in front of.</p>
<p>^
That would be a good idea, assuming you and your classmates are actually hard working, intelligent students and that you guys put forth your best efforts. </p>
<p>My guess would be that you guys had a hard class with a hard teacher, and didn’t rise up “to the occasion” and just gave up. </p>
<p>But if the teacher just always fails a large percentage of the class, then I would definitely talk to him first, then talk to another person (principal) about the issue if he doesn’t give a reasonable response.</p>
<p>ok well it was a very hard calc class and the teacher isnt a dick hes just the hardest teacher in the school teaching one of the hardest classes (honors calc). Can I please just explain the circumstances and be done with it and tell the schools what happened and I am an A B studentn besides that i mean they’ll see it right.</p>
<p>So…what are you going to say? “I took a hard class and I kinda failed. Oops.” ?</p>
<p>Do not waste your essay talking about a bad grade.</p>
<p>i didn’t fail and my guidence councilor said that he will explain to the schools how i went from a normal class to an honors calc with the hardest teacher in the school, i worked my ass off and it didnt work out. I have a 3.6 gpa even with the grade I just wanna know if colleges wont take me because of it or would they look over it with my guidance councilor explaining and the fact that I have all A’s and B’s besides that one grade.</p>
<p>It depends on the school. Some will just think you weren’t ready for that particular class. Others will think you aren’t as competitive as some other applicants.</p>
<p>This is why academic rigor is more important than GPA at the most selective schools. A’s and B’s in “normal classes” will be held against you if your school has an “honors” track that you avoid. If you can not do well in “honors” classes, those selective schools will question your ability to perform well at the college level. If your grade drop was explained by the GC as a result of a catastrophic family event, I could see that as more reasonable to excuse.</p>
<p>That being the case, I would take issue with a teacher who graded 60% of the class D+ or lower - especially if that did not correlate with standardized testing in that subject. If you truly feel that your low grade is based on an unreasonable teacher, then get a 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus examination. That shows the adcoms your teacher was a “dick” and is more effective than “telling them”. If you think you don’t know the material well enough for that, I would skip the AP and take the course this summer at CC if possible and ace it. To paraphrase something I recently heard, it is better to skip the AP test and be thought a fool than to fail miserably on it and confirm it.</p>
<p>It will look awful, but it will not kill your chances at those schools.</p>
<p>well if im at there gpa and ACT average will it take me out of the running</p>
<p>even if im at their gpa and test scores and its the only bad grade will it really look that bad. mind you im not applying to the most competative schools</p>
<p>I had a similar experience in AP Calc this year; I’ve always been a mostly A, sometimes B student, and I got in to a lot of good schools with my C. 
I’m sure you’ll be fine.</p>
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<p>I think that is a terrible explanation…</p>
<p>how is it my counclior says this happens a lot and he explains what happens and how i challenged myself and didn’t just screw around in the class i did bad but I’m a good A- B+ student who had one bad class how is that bad?</p>