This 7th semester is definitely challenging for DD. We told her her 4 AP classes in your senior year along with sports and leadership will be too much but she wanted to do it anyway. Sure enough, she could potentially end up with her first C in her entire school career. How is this going to look when she submits her 7th semester transcript in January? She's never even had a B let alone a C!
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potentially lower 7th semester grades
- Thread starter Mere2033
- Start date
A couple of things are happening here. WP does not recognize IB or AP classes because not all school offer these classes. However, taking these class are important to raise your class standing, you want to be in your upper 15%. And your grades help you get there. So depending on the class could have an effect. If the class is a science or math this could be problematic. You must have a solid foundation in these subjects. These are the Plebe killers. And for others reading this please keep in mind your appointment is conditional! I don't know how your DD 7th semester grades will have an effect because I don't know what classes they are.
At WP it is common for Cadets to be taking 18 to 24 credit units a semester. There are no 16 unit semester units for Cadets. This is extremely important to graduate on their fourth year. There are some Cadets who get rolled back a year and that is a result of an injury. Some are December grads and they had to make up a class. But usually a Cadet sinks during their first year when they can not keep up with the pace. Time management is a key skill to have.
Push Hard, Press Forward
At WP it is common for Cadets to be taking 18 to 24 credit units a semester. There are no 16 unit semester units for Cadets. This is extremely important to graduate on their fourth year. There are some Cadets who get rolled back a year and that is a result of an injury. Some are December grads and they had to make up a class. But usually a Cadet sinks during their first year when they can not keep up with the pace. Time management is a key skill to have.
Push Hard, Press Forward
This is an AP environmental science class. The clincher is that this is an elective class, She took it just to add another AP class and it'a a lab class. She thought it would be interesting. Turns out, there is very little lab work and all testing from the book. Not a way to learn this subject. Shameful!
This is just my opinion. I don't have any special insight into how admissions will view your situation.This is an AP environmental science class. The clincher is that this is an elective class, She took it just to add another AP class and it'a a lab class. She thought it would be interesting. Turns out, there is very little lab work and all testing from the book. Not a way to learn this subject. Shameful!
AP Environmental Science is one of the less difficult AP courses (at least among the STEM offerings). Solid performance in AP Chemistry, Physics, Calculus may offset a mediocre APES grade. It might be viewed as an aberration. USMA is very concerned about a candidate's ability to perform well in the Plebe killers, as Tug explains. If the other AP classes are humanities/social sciences and not STEM, that could be a problem.
On a side note, DS took APES and there was a lot of lab work.
I appreciate the insight. DD goes to a small college prep high school with only 90 students in her senior class. The classes are over the top difficult before adding AP and her classmates are all trying to get into schools such as Stanford and Berkeley. I painfully watch the hours she puts into basketball practice as they are a "basketball" school and then studying until 1 am. I know this story isn't any different for anyone else. I guess its great practice for what the SA's will be like. She's already taken the physics and calculus classes. This was just to fill in the space so that's why it's frustrating to watch.
She can drop this class with 3 weeks to go and not have it look negatively on her transcript?
She can drop this class with 3 weeks to go and not have it look negatively on her transcript?
Strongly advise talking to her college counselor about this. Many colleges would look at dropping a class negatively unless there is a good, verifiable explanation.She can drop this class with 3 weeks to go and not have it look negatively on her transcript?
The real question is how the expected grade compares to a drop. Aside from direct feedback from a college admissions officer, the college counselor is likely in the best position to answer this question.
This is exactly what is happening with my DD....she is trying to get it up to a B...she has 5 AP classes. I told her the same thing that 5 AP classes was a lot for her senior year. She told me I got this mom, cake, cake. Now she's regretting it...This 7th semester is definitely challenging for DD. We told her her 4 AP classes in your senior year along with sports and leadership will be too much but she wanted to do it anyway. Sure enough, she could potentially end up with her first C in her entire school career. How is this going to look when she submits her 7th semester transcript in January? She's never even had a B let alone a C!
My DD was also told by her vice principal that if your grade doesn't become at least a B that he's going to drop the class for her with three days before the end of the semester. Hope that helpsThis is exactly what is happening with my DD....she is trying to get it up to a B...she has 5 AP classes. I told her the same thing that 5 AP classes was a lot for her senior year. She told me I got this mom, cake, cake. Now she's regretting it...
Strongly advise talking to her college counselor about this. Many colleges would look at dropping a class negatively unless there is a good, verifiable explanation.
The real question is how the expected grade compares to a drop. Aside from direct feedback from a college admissions officer, the college counselor is likely in the best position to answer this question.
Good to know. I will definitely have her discuss this with her counselor. I didn't know this was even possible. It would be a huge blow to mess up that beautiful transcript in the end! D has a huge test tomorrow and she has a basketball game tonight home by 10. She drove with her coach so she could have peace and quiet to study during the long drive. We told her to skip the game and she looked at us like we were crazy. That was her responsibility to juggle sports and grades so we were put in our place!My DD was also told by her vice principal that if your grade doesn't become at least a B that he's going to drop the class for her with three days before the end of the semester. Hope that helps
I hope your DD gets her B.