Grade Question

H

hopeful_sailor

USNA '28
Joined
May 9, 2023
Messages
24
This is my first time posting on this thread, so I apologize for any mistakes I may make. I am currently enrolled in AP Physics 2 and have an 89 in the course. Assuming all goes to plan, I will have exactly a 90 by the end of the year. However, if something goes awry and I have a B on my transcript, will my chances of admission be significantly affected?
 
No one can answer that. That is one small component of your overall application. I would just say keep moving forward and try your best.
 
Your one grade is a small fraction of your overall GPA, which is a fraction of your whole candidate score. Which is compared to your competition.

So who knows?

I would make sure you understand the material - that is more important imo. A strong understanding of calculus and physics helped my son at USNA.
 
Honestly, the difference between an A and a B in one single class for 1 semester (assuming that's how your school does it) isn't going to change your GPA much because you have tons of other classes in the calculation. Maybe a couple hundredths of a point at most. This is such a small part of your overall application. I would just focus on doing the best you can do in the remaining weeks of the semester. Put in effort for the final. If something does go awry, don't let the B drag you down, just keep pushing forward, stronger than before.
 
From one GPA-obsessed junior to another… I wouldn’t sweat it. Playing the class rank game isn’t worth stressing about every single grade. Do your best for the final few weeks of school and, no matter what your final grade ends up as, you can be satisfied that you gave it your all and there’s nothing more you could have done. If your school’s anything like mine, a few hundredths of a point shouldn’t drop your rank too much and your scholarly attributes and hard work should be visible to admissions. Good luck at exams on Friday!
 
Kentucky9 said:
AP physics 2! Kudos to your school for that offering
Click to expand...
Yes, it's definitely a hard class for high schoolers! I remember my time in it as a senior. E&M was definitely not my favorite part of physics... AP Physics 1 and 2 both prepare you well for calculus-based physics in college.

If your school offers either of the AP Physics C courses, those would also be excellent preparation for further physics classes. You can even take the AP Physics C exams and do fine on them without the class if you've taken (or are taking) AP Calculus BC and AP Physics 1&2.
 
As @A1Janitor has already mentioned, this one grade will be a small part of your 'whole person' score.

It is recommended that you take the hardest classes available to you and that you do your very best in each class. Nowhere does it say to get an A in every class. I promise you that there are Midshipmen who have gotten Bs in high school.
 
The one thing my son and I believe is the public school he went to was fantastic … especially the stem classes. His physics teacher was the best - went way beyond to help them. Taught him a certain program that he became an expert in - he helped USNA professors use.

He called me and asked me to bring my dogs to the tennis courts where he was playing with his friends.

One thing they told me … the physics teacher said the current students aren’t grasping key concepts. Covid lockdowns harmed the students. Very sad.
 
A1Janitor said:
The one thing my son and I believe is the public school he went to was fantastic … especially the stem classes. His physics teacher was the best - went way beyond to help them. Taught him a certain program that he became an expert in - he helped USNA professors use.

He called me and asked me to bring my dogs to the tennis courts where he was playing with his friends.

One thing they told me … the physics teacher said the current students aren’t grasping key concepts. Covid lockdowns harmed the students.
Click to expand...
A1Janitor said:
The one thing my son and I believe is the public school he went to was fantastic … especially the stem classes. His physics teacher was the best - went way beyond to help them. Taught him a certain program that he became an expert in - he helped USNA professors use.

He called me and asked me to bring my dogs to the tennis courts where he was playing with his friends.

One thing they told me … the physics teacher said the current students aren’t grasping key concepts. Covid lockdowns harmed the students. Very sad.
Click to expand...
My current NAPS waitlisted son only had access to one non stem related AP CLASS. He has has 4 college classes, but his college welding class is as close as it gets to non liberal arts . My youngest son is enrolling in an academic academy his junior where he will have so much more access educationally than his brother did. The opportunity cost is my youngest son will not have access to athletics there on that college campus.
 
Kentucky9 said:
My current NAPS waitlisted son only had access to one non stem related AP CLASS. He has has 4 college classes, but his college welding class is as close as it gets to non liberal arts . My youngest son is enrolling in an academic academy his junior where he will have so much more access educationally than his brother did. The opportunity cost is my youngest son will not have access to athletics there on that college campus.
Click to expand...
This shows the struggle SAs have trying to compare students from different schools.

I am not completely sure why schools don’t have minimum standards for classes for the top students. They didn’t mind injecting common core nonsense.

I have seen instances where they teach to the middle. Extra resources for the low, less resources to the high.

This is one advantage of homeschooling. They can design the program based on their child’s ability and not arbitrary criteria like age.
 
Took my son out for lunch yesterday.

He said that when he was in school, they had one AP physics course (Physics 2), two honors physics courses, and two regular physics classes. They are getting rid of all but the two regular courses. The students don’t have the necessary math background now (covid) and the top students don’t understand the material.

When he took Physics 2 - he made them all do a project and present it to the class on Calculus 3 material that they had not learned yet.

Sad stuff.
 
A1Janitor said:
Took my son out for lunch yesterday.

He said that when he was in school, they had one AP physics course (Physics 2), two honors physics courses, and two regular physics classes. They are getting rid of all but the two regular courses. The students don’t have the necessary math background now (covid) and the top students don’t understand the material.

When he took Physics 2 - he made them all do a project and present it to the class on Calculus 3 material that they had not learned yet.

Sad stuff.
Click to expand...
We haven’t seen the tip of the negative aspects of Covid and government dependency yet. Which is one major reason I want my SONS to attend a service academy. If this country is going to recover it’s going to have to depend on quality servant leaders coming from the service academies.
 
Kentucky9 said:
We haven’t seen the tip of the negative aspects of Covid and government dependency yet. Which is one major reason I want my SONS to attend a service academy. If this country is going to recover it’s going to have to depend on quality servant leaders coming from the service academies.
Click to expand...
Hopefully your sons want to attend a SA as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top