I think I overestimated my ability to get good grades

T

talltrees

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Feb 23, 2019
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This year I`m taking AP Physics, AP lit, AP gov, Photography, Pre-Calc, and AP French. Im about to get a lower GPA my fall semester of Senior year than my Junior year. With a probable C in AP physics and B`s in Pre-Calc and AP French, I think im really screwing my already slim chances of being admitted into West Point. Will this blemish of a Semester ruin me?

Im probably going to end with a 3.4 unweighted GPA this semester.
 
talltrees said:
This year I`m taking AP Physics, AP lit, AP gov, Photography, Pre-Calc, and AP French. Im about to get a lower GPA my fall semester of Senior year than my Junior year. With a probable C in AP physics and B`s in Pre-Calc and AP French, I think im really screwing my already slim chances of being admitted into West Point. Will this blemish of a Semester ruin me?

Im probably going to end with a 3.4 unweighted GPA this semester.
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Assuming you get a 4.4 GPA, that isn't that bad. The average West Point GPA is about 3.7. That would mean you would be slightly below average and that would be your unweighted GPA. Your weighted will be better than that. Plus West Point cares more about your SAT and ACT than your GPA. Try and do even better next semester. I don't really know if anything I said helps.
 
FIGHT ON! DO NOT QUIT! KEEP GOING!
The service academies want you to take the most rigorous coursework you can at your school. YOU ARE DOING THAT.
You have a hard schedule. Just keep going. Try your best to bring up that 'C' but most likely the admissions decision will be made in advance of your 7th semester transcript being received by USMA. Just go and keep going. Do not quit.
 
And remember that these are the classes that are preparing you for the rigors of a SA. It’s more than the grade...it’s laying the foundation.

If they want you, they will get you in. Could be a prep year or a self prep year, but they will get you in. Keep on, keeping on! Doing your best!
 
My son got a C (I forget what class but it was a STEM class) in high school and he is currently a firstie at WP. Soldier on and keep studying hard and working on your CFT training. It is way too early to think that your chances of attending WP are over.
 
I’m pretty much in the same boat, just replacing AP courses with dual-enrollment. From what I’ve heard/read, if they see that you’re challenging yourself and fending off senioritis, it makes up for a lower GPA (I actually think it says in the admissions packet that taking harder courses makes up for lower grades). Good luck!!
 
General thoughts on doing well in HS:

0) GO TO CLASS, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!

1) Go to Teacher's office hours early in the semester and Ask this question: "I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?"

2) If you have problems with the homework, go to Teacher's office hours. If they have any "help sessions" or "study sessions" or any thing extra, go to them.

3) Form a study group with other kids in your class.

4) Don't do the minimum...for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or chemistry whatever. Watch online videos (e.g., Khan Academy) about the topic you are studying.

5) If things still are not going well, get a tutor. Your National Honor Society will have some. Or ask a teacher for a referral.

6) Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.

7) For tests that you didn't do well on, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study...there may be a study skill center at your guidance office.

8) How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? Is it enough?

9) If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the guidance counselor and talk to them.

10) At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The teacher may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.

11) Make sure you understand how to use your online class system...Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the teacher wants).

12) If you get an assignment...make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.

13) If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the teacher's office hours...not the day before the assignment is due.

14) Take advantage of any "re-do" tests you may be able to take..your teacher wants you to learn the material. Future material depends on it so you need to have the foundation. By explaining what went wrong you really understand it. Take advantage of this.
 
DrMom said:
FIGHT ON! DO NOT QUIT! KEEP GOING!
The service academies want you to take the most rigorous coursework you can at your school. YOU ARE DOING THAT.
You have a hard schedule. Just keep going. Try your best to bring up that 'C' but most likely the admissions decision will be made in advance of your 7th semester transcript being received by USMA. Just go and keep going. Do not quit.
Click to expand...
And your current heavy load will only help you handle the constant heavy load at USMA. Keep going, don't give up!
 
Hey man, don't worry about your grades as long as you are trying your hardest. I switched schools several times throughout my high school career. I earned a couple C's sprinkled throughout the years. My HS graduating GPA was a 3.6 UW. My ACT was a 35. I didn't get into USMA on the first shot. But here I am, halfway through West Point already. You got it! And if not this time, keep trying until you can't anymore. A relentless spirit is also key in developing a good officer - not just grades. Good luck!
 
Take the corresponding AP exams and score well - 4 or 5 if possible. Do well on ACT/SAT, especially Math. This will confirm you know the material, that you either had a hard class and/or learned from it in order to score well at the national level, because who knows how your teacher grades vs. another teacher. My older DD (not SA bound) overcame 2 C's in Calc AB by scoring a 4 on the AP exam and 780 SAT Math. Math grading was 100, 70, 40, 0 for 0, 1, 2, or 3 mistakes, no retakes, no "half points back", etc. Very unforgiving grading scale, but unambiguous, and with a reasoning behind it. Her senior superlative was Most Likely to Forget +C or something like that - a math reference, I assume.
 
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