79 (C) on 1st Semester Transcript - Chances Ruined?

smmtx1

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My DS got an email from USNA Admissions mid December stating that before a decision can be made on his application he would need to submit his 1st semester transcript. On Dec. 20 he received a MOC nomination and before we could finish celebrating, his semester grades were posted and he got his FIRST EVER C (79)...UGH! And to add salt to his wound, it was in Calculus. He completely bombed the final which brought down his grade. :frown: Are his chances for appointment now ruined? All of his other classes (all dual credit or advanced) are A's and B's.

He has tried contacting his BGO for advice but he is traveling out of the country so any BGO's out there, your words of wisdome are welcome!
 
DS Stats:

3.86 GPA
Top 20% in class - VERY competitive school
ACT - 30 Math/28 CR
Varsity Letters - Soccer (varsity since 10th grade) & Track
Varsity Soccer Team Captain
Select Soccer Team Captain (club soccer)
MCJROTC
Lots of hours for community service (Habitat for Humanity & TOPS special needs soccer)
Lifeguard/pool manager
Received noms from NJROTC Lt. Col. and Congressman
 
My DS got an email from USNA Admissions mid December stating that before a decision can be made on his application he would need to submit his 1st semester transcript. On Dec. 20 he received a MOC nomination and before we could finish celebrating, his semester grades were posted and he got his FIRST EVER C (79)...UGH! And to add salt to his wound, it was in Calculus. He completely bombed the final which brought down his grade. :frown: Are his chances for appointment now ruined? All of his other classes (all dual credit or advanced) are A's and B's.

Any chance he can email or call his teacher and do a little polite begging and explain the situation he is in with USNA? Maybe they would bump him to a B?
 
Now I'm no expert, but I don't think it will completely keep him from an admission. Was the Calculus AP? Also, has retaking the ACT or taking the SAT come to mind? I don't think you listed an SAT score at all and you could definitely have made up for the high C if you retook the ACT and got 33 and above math/English. From what I have heard, nationwide testing such as the ACT/SAT are weighed much higher by admissions board. I'm also pretty sure you have to send in a final transcript so keep that in mind also; work your butt off and get that grade up by the end of the course.
 
Now I'm no expert, but I don't think it will completely keep him from an admission. Was the Calculus AP? Also, has retaking the ACT or taking the SAT come to mind? I don't think you listed an SAT score at all and you could definitely have made up for the high C if you retook the ACT and got 33 and above math/English. From what I have heard, nationwide testing such as the ACT/SAT are weighed much higher by admissions board. I'm also pretty sure you have to send in a final transcript so keep that in mind also; work your butt off and get that grade up by the end of the course.

Yes, Calculus is advanced. He's taken the ACT 3 times and has kept his same scores - imagine that. SAT twice but did better on ACT - he's not the best test taker.

He doesn't go back to school until Tuesday but did email his Calc teacher (she's the chairman of the math dept at his school). She responded today saying she typically does not "bump" up averages. She said she knows how important getting into the Academy is to him and he has put her in a tough spot. To me that doesn't necessarily classify as a solid "No" so he emailed her back a great response and game plan for next semester. I hope it works!
 
Any chance he can email or call his teacher and do a little polite begging and explain the situation he is in with USNA? Maybe they would bump him to a B?

While I make absolutely no judgment or accusation about whether this is an actual recommendation, this approach is out of integrity. Students earn what they earn. Asking a teacher or college instructor to change a grade that does not correspond to the scores earned is an act of academic dishonesty, and no honest instructor will honor such a request.
 
While I make absolutely no judgment or accusation about whether this is an actual recommendation, this approach is out of integrity. Students earn what they earn. Asking a teacher or college instructor to change a grade that does not correspond to the scores earned is an act of academic dishonesty, and no honest instructor will honor such a request.

Well, taking this post into consideration... perhaps part of the "plan" outlined to the teacher should include the request for enough extra credit to be given in order to "honestly" bump up his grade; thus, no integrity issue! :thumb:
 
Well, taking this post into consideration... perhaps part of the "plan" outlined to the teacher should include the request for enough extra credit to be given in order to "honestly" bump up his grade; thus, no integrity issue! :thumb:

Which is why schools around my home do not allow extra credit. :thumbdown:
 
While I make absolutely no judgment or accusation about whether this is an actual recommendation, this approach is out of integrity. Students earn what they earn. Asking a teacher or college instructor to change a grade that does not correspond to the scores earned is an act of academic dishonesty, and no honest instructor will honor such a request.


The integrity of my son should not come into question here. He is not asking for a 'free' grade change. He is asking for extra credit to earn the extra point, which is actually a .527 point increase. He has also requested to show his teacher his review worksheet in prep for the final so she can grade it and see he actually knows what he's doing. His teacher has agreed to review his worksheet and also recheck his final which her TA graded to see if any grading mistakes were made.
 
It shouldn't be ruined at all. I am also a candidate for 2018 and know plenty of mids and cadets who had worse grades than I do and I've had about 3-4 C's in my high school career. I also have 2 nominations for what it's worth.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with EC. Its given frequently in HS and college to those who want to show extra effort and incentive. And, if the teacher feels its appropriate to assign it, then thats between him/her and the student(s). In this case, your son. Good luck! :wink:
 
A "C" in Calculus is one of those grades I would classify as "not sure," but I don't see anything wrong with talking to the teacher, especially given that your DS is ~1/2 point short of a B. A final exam is work performed on one day of the year -- if your DS had sustained performance in the "B" range the entire year, I don't think it is unreasonable to petition the teacher. As far as extra credit, if the teacher has a policy that is known to everyone (in other words, every student has an opportunity to do extra credit), I also see no issue.

Ultimately, the goal is to learn, so hopefully your DS uses this opportunity to improve his math skills, because advanced math is the pinnacle of USNA.

My two cents.
 
I would like to thank all of you who have sent me PM's and responded to my post. Reading them has been very informative and we thank you for your support and words of wisdom. Only time will tell how this journey unfolds! :smile:
 
I don't know how well C's do for the other service academies (though I am applying to USNA) I have had two or three C's throughout my high school career, but still got an appointment to USCGA.

I am certain other things in his application will definitely outweigh at least one slip. :)
 
Update on DS's status - his teacher reviewed his final and determined there was a grading mistake. He is now getting an 80 (B) for his final semester Calculus grade! :biggrin:
 
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