Hello! I’m a 1560 SAT, 3.9+ unweighted GPA student (with a decent extracurricular spike) looking into some selective colleges (Harvard, Columbia, Barnard, NYU, Northwestern, USC). However, due to having 5 AP tests, a weeklong school trip, and so much of the awful mixed drink that is junior-year burnout over the past month, I’ve fallen two weeks behind in an optional Running Start course that I’m taking- and now I have to decide whether I need to drop it.
For context, my school is a full-time enrollment (7.5 credits per semester) school, but students have the freedom to take one 5-credit class per trimester at the local community college via the school’s Running Start program. I’m currently enrolled in Spanish 4 (having already obtained 3 Spanish credits, but I read having 4 FL credits was helpful in college admissions), but I’ve fallen behind and now may be stuck between getting a B and taking the hit to my GPA, or dropping it and saving my grades but also having an (albeit uneccessary) class withdrawal on my permanent record. I could also retake the class over the summer or next year if that would help. Could anyone please advise me as to whether withdrawing from this class would negatively impact my chances of getting into schools with single-digit acceptance rates? Thank you so much!
Getting a single B will not affect your chances to getting into T20 colleges, if so, it would be very minuscule. But know that if you don’t get accepted it won’t be because of the B.
Take this opportunity to learn and think about what your mistake was and how to fix it.
During all of middle school I have gotten straight A’s pretty easily without having to study too much. But once first semester of high school started I have lacked in my study skills and haven’t been doing to well on tests and I haven’t been asking for help when I should have, making my grades drop, ending with 3 A’s and 3 B’s.
It’s not the end of the world. People have gotten in to top schools with more than 3 B’s.
Remember that your grades aren’t the only factor, it will be EC’s, letters of recommendations, SAT. etc.
Getting to Spanish 4 in Junior year is impressive enough. (Unless your a heritage speaker)
So I would advise you to not withdraw from the class, nor retake during the summer or next school year.
I already have a B in a mandatory Dance class from last year- getting a B would probably drop my unweighted GPA from 3.93 to 3.91 (my school doesn’t report weighted GPAs, but I’ve calculated mine and it would go down by less than a hundredth).
Assuming you have not taken any other class there AND do not plan on taking classes at that college in the future, if you withdrew that one class, it doesn’t get reported anywhere. There is no place on an application that asks you to list a class that was never completed with a letter grade (A-F). A “W” for all intended purpose, never happened. It won’t get computed into GPA calculation, because it’s treated as if it never happened. Sure, if may look bad if you have too many “W” but one singular W will not hurt you.
I would encourage OP confirm that in writing with every admissions office at the colleges on their list. Some colleges will absolutely want all CC transcripts if the CC classes aren’t on the HS transcript.
Yes. I’ve taken one other class at this community college, which I got an A in. All count for HS credit, but the class I’m taking isn’t necessary to graduate (my high school only requires 2 FL classes, this would be my 4th).
disclaimer: I’m not sure if this is the same at all colleges.
In the several colleges/universities I’ve attended, taught at, and have children and students attending, “drop” and “withdrawal” are two different ways to get out of a class. “Drop” happens during the first 2-3 weeks of a semester. A course “dropped” is the same as a course never taken. “Withdrawal” happens about half way (or a little beyond) into the semester. “Withdrawal” leaves a “W” on transcript, indicating the course was taken but not completed.
No. I’m not suggesting getting a W over a B. What I am suggesting is if OP feels overwhelmed and unsatisfied with having a low grade, then withdrawing and lighten the load can be beneficial in many ways.
But, since this transcript will have to be submitted, that changes the balance some. But still, a W won’t get factored into GPA calculation. And if OP regroup mentally and moves on, I doubt the W will have any effect at all. Whereas having the stress over the course load will negatively impact her performance.
BUT, it’s May. Isn’t this literally like the last week of classes? Usually academic advice seeking should happen earlier…
EDIT to say in five years, nobody is going to care OP took five AP classes and scored “5s” on all these AP exams. But when OP applies to med/law/business/grad school that B will be there. Not that there is anything wrong with a “B”, I have plenty on my own transcripts. But hope that also gives OP something to consider.
This is the same at the schools I have attended and teach at. My stance is if there is ONLY one single “W” on a school transcript, there is nothing to report because every application instruction I haver seen said: “grade completed” must be reported.
I’m in the West, so school doesn’t get out until late June. College class ends last week of June (when I’d be out of town anyway, so I’d have to get everything done early).
Take the B and avoid the W. Also not having a foreign langauge as a jr doesn’t look great for those sorts of schools either…They will prefer (for most part) a 4th year of the language too…
Please don’t fret about one B or even two B grades. If you do or don’t get accepted to these elite colleges, you will never know why. But I’ll guess that a couple of B grades wont be the reason.