Just another grades question

Jd1221

5-Year Member
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May 25, 2017
Messages
16
Hello
I am currently a junior in ap chemistry which i am having an extremely hard time with. I have a tutor and I do all my work and study but I dont get the grades I want.
My quarter 1 grade for AP Chem was 79. My GPA was a 94 which according to some conversion chart I saw is a 4.0 (unweighted). All my other classes including APUSH, AP english, College spanish, college precalculus were 94 and above.
So my question is will my bad average(s?) in Chemistry really effect my application, or does my decent overall GPA save me? Just give me any thoughts you have because I am really upset thinking that I shouldn’t have taken this class. I understand no one can really give me a definitive answer.
 
Hello
I am currently a junior in ap chemistry which i am having an extremely hard time with. I have a tutor and I do all my work and study but I dont get the grades I want.
My quarter 1 grade for AP Chem was 79. My GPA was a 94 which according to some conversion chart I saw is a 4.0 (unweighted). All my other classes including APUSH, AP english, College spanish, college precalculus were 94 and above.
So my question is will my bad average(s?) in Chemistry really effect my application, or does my decent overall GPA save me? Just give me any thoughts you have because I am really upset thinking that I shouldn’t have taken this class. I understand no one can really give me a definitive answer.
Your score on the AP exam will provide the context you seek. Score a 4 or 5 on the exam and most admissions offices will view the 79 as the result of a tough teacher.

It is difficult to answer a question on grades because there is no way of knowing how rigorous your school is compared to others. Your 79 may be a 69 at another school or a 99 at yet another. Overall, one mediocre grade will not kill your USMA application.

BTW to help with your essays - affect is a verb, effect is a noun - I believe it should be "affect my application or have an effect on my application." I have always had trouble with the distinction, so someone please correct me if I am wrong. It will not affect my pride and the effect on her essays may positively affect her application. :)
 
Your score on the AP exam will provide the context you seek. Score a 4 or 5 on the exam and most admissions offices will view the 79 as the result of a tough teacher.

It is difficult to answer a question on grades because there is no way of knowing how rigorous your school is compared to others. Your 79 may be a 69 at another school or a 99 at yet another. Overall, one mediocre grade will not kill your USMA application.

BTW to help with your essays - affect is a verb, effect is a noun - I believe it should be "affect my application or have an effect on my application." I have always had trouble with the distinction, so someone please correct me if I am wrong. It will not affect my pride and the effect on her essays may positively affect her application. :)

As I was typing I didn’t know which to use lol thanks for the clarification and the helpful answer.
 
USMA does not look at AP scores for admissions - just for placement plebe year.

Your GPA / Class Rank is more important than any one grade; if your school doesn't rank the SAs will use historical 'normalized' GPA and SAT data to estimate your rank percentile.

FYI if your state doesn't use the ACT you can still take it on your own; ACT has a separate 'science' score where the SAT does not. As a junior there is still ample time to take and retake SAT/ACT for superscoring.
 
AP scores are not required or used in WCS calculation, but can be used as supplemental information similar to letters of recommendation, awards, etc.

A candidate with a poor grade in chemistry, which has no direct SAT/ACT material, may benefit by submitting a high AP Chemistry score. Other grades and test scores will probably overcome the one poor grade, but if it becomes a question the information is right there in the file.

In any event, submitting a high AP score in any subject will not hurt your application.
 
I took AP chem last year, so if you need help with study strategies, I might be able to help you. Is your issue with the tests or with the everyday homework/assignments?
 
I took AP chem last year, so if you need help with study strategies, I might be able to help you. Is your issue with the tests or with the everyday homework/assignments?

Homework is easy, just textbook work. I understand the HW. Basically my teacher makes us learn from just reading the textbook for HW. I got all 100s for HWs and labs but tests I don’t do well. Very disappointing. What was your teacher like and how did you study for the tests ?
 
I had a really kind, bubbly lady whose style of teaching wasn't really effective for AP. I don't think anyone in the class ended up with even a 4 on the AP exam... She was sweet but AP wasn't her strength, she relied heavily on flipcharts and fun activities instead of lecture and comprehension type activities. I came in having taken General Chemistry, which helped, but I had to learn most of the material myself for the tests, and I ended up with a 95 or something like that. For me what helped the most was online tutorials.

First, pin down the concepts you don't understand by phrase (i.e. Titrations, Covalent Bonds, etc.) and do a google search for powerpoints. You'll find some good ones that explain the concepts pretty clearly, and if you still don't understand, try to break the concept down even further. A lot of the times I find I'm struggling with a chapter because I don't have the base knowledge to even start to understand it. Second, Khan Academy is your friend. Khan Academy is probably the single greatest resource for anything math/science related.

It goes without saying, don't give up right now. An improvement over the year is always looked upon more favorably than settling and taking the C-D-F.
 
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