DC is getting a C+ in Advanced Calculus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rising senior (finishing junior right now). Rigorous private high school. Recovering a lot of points towards the end but just not enough. What is a realistic outlook on college application? Focusing on T40-60? Is that realistic? For context, B+ to A are considered good grades in DC’s school. DC gets mostly As in other courses, nothing below B+. Won’t major in math or engineering.

Hi OP please know that there are people in the private school universe who understand your dilemma and are pulling for your kid. We get it. Understand that very few kids are taking this class as a junior. Ask me how I know? I would set up an appointment with point of contact for your grade. Do not push this aside. You should be direct and say the facts-know how many kids take this class and bring up you are concerned that this will be lost in the mix. Put this on the school as to how they will figure this out. Work out a plan together on how to overcome this? Maybe it is an online class? Maybe it is taking over this summer? Maybe it is tutoring to make sure he rocks BC. The most important thing is respectfully make a point that if your kid was in public this would be a B plus because they get a point for AP on top of grade. Make sure you are all on same page. It is better to figure this out now than wait until senior year. If you are talking about a kid with mostly As and this is an anomaly then this should be used as an asset for applications. Understand that if you do not have this sort of curriculum you will not get advice on DCUM that will be helpful. Good luck and tell you kid he is awesome!!

Our public 1/3rd get C's in Calc. Not sure where you get the idea this kid would have pulled a B+ at a public.

They just mean that the C+, ordinarily a 2.3, would be a 3.3 with the GPA bump for taking an AP. Rigorous privates are too good for AP courses or GPA bumps, so kids like OP’s just get screwed.

GPA bumps only exist for class rank. They aren't used for any sort of comparison across school systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a sad statement of the world today (I'm not blaming you - I feel awful for you). One bad grade should not ruin a kid. I'm pretty sure I had multiple final grades of B or so (but still finished in the top few % of my class at a good public HS) and got into multiple Ivy+ schools in the 90s. A's weren't handed out like candy and any SAT score over 1400 was great. The process is just so awful. But I don't know the answer.

This isn't the 90s.

In the era of grade inflation, a C+ might as well be a D. Now, if the OP isn't obsessed with T10 schools like most DCUMers and puts a reasonable college list together, he/she will avoid some admissions pain.

I'm not saying it is the 90s. I'm just venting as to how awful things are. The kid is taking advanced calc as a junior. Pretty impressive. But one screw up and that's it. As you noted, there are lots of great schools out there and I'm sure DC will get into one. But it is a shame. That is all.

Why is it a shame if a kid gets into one of those other great schools?

Seriously, what is wrong with you people? "There's lots of great schools out there, too bad kids have to go to them?" WTF?

It’s not a shame on the kid. It’s definitely a shame on the system.

What is shameful about a system with lots of great schools for kids to go to?

It’s a shame on the system because it punishes students who are bright and taking challenges, while rewarding students who don’t take challenges.

+1

While Harvard admits take remedial math class.

OP's kid is one of those remedial math class kids, so what is your point?

[Anonymous]

Have you heard of AoPS. If you have not I rest my case. You have no business talking about math, the subject matter, or students in the local area junior or senior magnet high school programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rising senior (finishing junior right now). Rigorous private high school. Recovering a lot of points towards the end but just not enough. What is a realistic outlook on college application? Focusing on T40-60? Is that realistic? For context, B+ to A are considered good grades in DC’s school. DC gets mostly As in other courses, nothing below B+. Won’t major in math or engineering.

Hi OP please know that there are people in the private school universe who understand your dilemma and are pulling for your kid. We get it. Understand that very few kids are taking this class as a junior. Ask me how I know? I would set up an appointment with point of contact for your grade. Do not push this aside. You should be direct and say the facts-know how many kids take this class and bring up you are concerned that this will be lost in the mix. Put this on the school as to how they will figure this out. Work out a plan together on how to overcome this? Maybe it is an online class? Maybe it is taking over this summer? Maybe it is tutoring to make sure he rocks BC. The most important thing is respectfully make a point that if your kid was in public this would be a B plus because they get a point for AP on top of grade. Make sure you are all on same page. It is better to figure this out now than wait until senior year. If you are talking about a kid with mostly As and this is an anomaly then this should be used as an asset for applications. Understand that if you do not have this sort of curriculum you will not get advice on DCUM that will be helpful. Good luck and tell you kid he is awesome!!

Our public 1/3rd get C's in Calc. Not sure where you get the idea this kid would have pulled a B+ at a public.

They just mean that the C+, ordinarily a 2.3, would be a 3.3 with the GPA bump for taking an AP. Rigorous privates are too good for AP courses or GPA bumps, so kids like OP’s just get screwed.

GPA bumps only exist for class rank. They aren't used for any sort of comparison across school systems.

Not at selective schools. But a lot of less-competitive colleges and universities use transcript GPA, which includes the GPA bump. Guaranteed admission at VCU, for example, is a 3.5, and they use the weighted GPA if it’s printed on your transcript. So private school kids are less likely to be able to rely on schools like that as safeties. A lot of private school parents on here would never deign to send a kid to VCU, but also hate the fact that if they wanted to go there, it would be harder for their kid to get in.

[Anonymous]

Literally my DC. Got a C+ in AP Calc. Now a math major at T40 LAC. Some kids just don’t perform in HS. With blemishes on transcript, ED to quality LAC is a good idea (if full pay)

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids have Cs at a rigorous private and got into plenty of great schools, even for CS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a sad statement of the world today (I'm not blaming you - I feel awful for you). One bad grade should not ruin a kid. I'm pretty sure I had multiple final grades of B or so (but still finished in the top few % of my class at a good public HS) and got into multiple Ivy+ schools in the 90s. A's weren't handed out like candy and any SAT score over 1400 was great. The process is just so awful. But I don't know the answer.

This isn't the 90s.

In the era of grade inflation, a C+ might as well be a D. Now, if the OP isn't obsessed with T10 schools like most DCUMers and puts a reasonable college list together, he/she will avoid some admissions pain.

Rigorous schools do not have grade inflation.

A C+ at a "rigorous " school still sucks, so there's that.

Well, most kids don’t make it past calc BC either, and especially not an a junior. If he did well though BC I think he is fine

The kids at our school admitted to the highest ranked colleges did not take the hardest math classes offered. I don't know where people got the idea that this was needed. It has never been the case at our high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But this is the problem. This kid showed clear focus to push himself. He did not take the easy route and a C plus in Advanced AB Calc junior year in an accomplishment. I am guessing he had to get permission to take this class. The sad thing is kids/parents feel embarrassed and don’t advocate to the school. You should. Ask how many juniors in this class? What was the criteria to get in? It is all how you look at this.

At a private with strong college exmissions, the college counselor should be able to address or mitigate this grade anomoly in their write up. Don't panic. Taking academic risks should be celebrated! It's just the way you frame it. It could a great "lesson learned" for a supplemental essays. I know several kids with so/so grades in advanced level courses at private schools who got into top schools. It's important to be thoughtful and strategize all parts of your kid's application to showcase their strengths, character, etc.

Interesting that the top privates don't have all top students.

Why would they?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see anything wrong with taking Advanced Calculus in junior year. The kid has the courage to take up the challenge, and he probably learned a lot from his failure, or overcoming the obstacles from his endeavor near the end of the year.

Snowflake would just take the easier route the safe route. Snowflake would never have the same experience as this kid. Yes they may get into a “better” college but so what?

This kid wasn't ready and at the first sign of struggle parents should have gotten a tutor if they could not help.

“First sign of struggle”.

Are you going to do the same when they are in college? At their first job? Life will be full of struggles.

What you doing to your kids is far worse than a C+.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a sad statement of the world today (I'm not blaming you - I feel awful for you). One bad grade should not ruin a kid. I'm pretty sure I had multiple final grades of B or so (but still finished in the top few % of my class at a good public HS) and got into multiple Ivy+ schools in the 90s. A's weren't handed out like candy and any SAT score over 1400 was great. The process is just so awful. But I don't know the answer.

This isn't the 90s.

In the era of grade inflation, a C+ might as well be a D. Now, if the OP isn't obsessed with T10 schools like most DCUMers and puts a reasonable college list together, he/she will avoid some admissions pain.

Rigorous schools do not have grade inflation.

A C+ at a "rigorous " school still sucks, so there's that.

Well, most kids don’t make it past calc BC either, and especially not an a junior. If he did well though BC I think he is fine

The kids at our school admitted to the highest ranked colleges did not take the hardest math classes offered. I don't know where people got the idea that this was needed. It has never been the case at our high school.

Colleges ceaselessly repeat the mantra that students should take the “most rigorous courses available to them.” Some students, parents, and even counselors are naive enough to trust them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rising senior (finishing junior right now). Rigorous private high school. Recovering a lot of points towards the end but just not enough. What is a realistic outlook on college application? Focusing on T40-60? Is that realistic? For context, B+ to A are considered good grades in DC’s school. DC gets mostly As in other courses, nothing below B+. Won’t major in math or engineering.

Hi OP please know that there are people in the private school universe who understand your dilemma and are pulling for your kid. We get it. Understand that very few kids are taking this class as a junior. Ask me how I know? I would set up an appointment with point of contact for your grade. Do not push this aside. You should be direct and say the facts-know how many kids take this class and bring up you are concerned that this will be lost in the mix. Put this on the school as to how they will figure this out. Work out a plan together on how to overcome this? Maybe it is an online class? Maybe it is taking over this summer? Maybe it is tutoring to make sure he rocks BC. The most important thing is respectfully make a point that if your kid was in public this would be a B plus because they get a point for AP on top of grade. Make sure you are all on same page. It is better to figure this out now than wait until senior year. If you are talking about a kid with mostly As and this is an anomaly then this should be used as an asset for applications. Understand that if you do not have this sort of curriculum you will not get advice on DCUM that will be helpful. Good luck and tell you kid he is awesome!!

Our public 1/3rd get C's in Calc. Not sure where you get the idea this kid would have pulled a B+ at a public.

They just mean that the C+, ordinarily a 2.3, would be a 3.3 with the GPA bump for taking an AP. Rigorous privates are too good for AP courses or GPA bumps, so kids like OP’s just get screwed.

GPA bumps only exist for class rank. They aren't used for any sort of comparison across school systems.

Not at selective schools. But a lot of less-competitive colleges and universities use transcript GPA, which includes the GPA bump. Guaranteed admission at VCU, for example, is a 3.5, and they use the weighted GPA if it’s printed on your transcript. So private school kids are less likely to be able to rely on schools like that as safeties. A lot of private school parents on here would never deign to send a kid to VCU, but also hate the fact that if they wanted to go there, it would be harder for their kid to get in.

Please stop. You are wrong. The weight added to an AB, IB, or DE course is part of a weighted GPA, not part of the grade shown by the course name on the transcript. I have no idea what you mean by what is bolded above, but this is how it is done.

Notwithstanding your dissing VCU as a viable option for a private school kid:
- many private and public school kids have the 3.5 unweighted;
- you can still get the guaranteed admission by being in the top 10% of the class (fcps doesnt rank kids so all schools that do get the same kind of advantage you are arguing about in your post re: weighted courses v unweighted)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a sad statement of the world today (I'm not blaming you - I feel awful for you). One bad grade should not ruin a kid. I'm pretty sure I had multiple final grades of B or so (but still finished in the top few % of my class at a good public HS) and got into multiple Ivy+ schools in the 90s. A's weren't handed out like candy and any SAT score over 1400 was great. The process is just so awful. But I don't know the answer.

This isn't the 90s.

In the era of grade inflation, a C+ might as well be a D. Now, if the OP isn't obsessed with T10 schools like most DCUMers and puts a reasonable college list together, he/she will avoid some admissions pain.

Rigorous schools do not have grade inflation.

A C+ at a "rigorous " school still sucks, so there's that.

Well, most kids don’t make it past calc BC either, and especially not an a junior. If he did well though BC I think he is fine

The kids at our school admitted to the highest ranked colleges did not take the hardest math classes offered. I don't know where people got the idea that this was needed. It has never been the case at our high school.

What were the highest ranked colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a sad statement of the world today (I'm not blaming you - I feel awful for you). One bad grade should not ruin a kid. I'm pretty sure I had multiple final grades of B or so (but still finished in the top few % of my class at a good public HS) and got into multiple Ivy+ schools in the 90s. A's weren't handed out like candy and any SAT score over 1400 was great. The process is just so awful. But I don't know the answer.

This isn't the 90s.

In the era of grade inflation, a C+ might as well be a D. Now, if the OP isn't obsessed with T10 schools like most DCUMers and puts a reasonable college list together, he/she will avoid some admissions pain.

Rigorous schools do not have grade inflation.

A C+ at a "rigorous " school still sucks, so there's that.

Well, most kids don’t make it past calc BC either, and especially not an a junior. If he did well though BC I think he is fine

The kids at our school admitted to the highest ranked colleges did not take the hardest math classes offered. I don't know where people got the idea that this was needed. It has never been the case at our high school.

Exactly. Princeton, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Duke, Hopkins do not care about calculus. Take Algebra I, II, Geo/trig. Take precalculus as a senior. That checks the most rigorous box so no need for further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a sad statement of the world today (I'm not blaming you - I feel awful for you). One bad grade should not ruin a kid. I'm pretty sure I had multiple final grades of B or so (but still finished in the top few % of my class at a good public HS) and got into multiple Ivy+ schools in the 90s. A's weren't handed out like candy and any SAT score over 1400 was great. The process is just so awful. But I don't know the answer.

This isn't the 90s.

In the era of grade inflation, a C+ might as well be a D. Now, if the OP isn't obsessed with T10 schools like most DCUMers and puts a reasonable college list together, he/she will avoid some admissions pain.

Rigorous schools do not have grade inflation.

A C+ at a "rigorous " school still sucks, so there's that.

Well, most kids don’t make it past calc BC either, and especially not an a junior. If he did well though BC I think he is fine

The kids at our school admitted to the highest ranked colleges did not take the hardest math classes offered. I don't know where people got the idea that this was needed. It has never been the case at our high school.

Exactly. Princeton, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Duke, Hopkins do not care about calculus. Take Algebra I, II, Geo/trig. Take precalculus as a senior. That checks the most rigorous box so no need for further.

No, it doesn't! Unless you are DEI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rising senior (finishing junior right now). Rigorous private high school. Recovering a lot of points towards the end but just not enough. What is a realistic outlook on college application? Focusing on T40-60? Is that realistic? For context, B+ to A are considered good grades in DC’s school. DC gets mostly As in other courses, nothing below B+. Won’t major in math or engineering.

Privates have worse college admissions you wasted your money on

Calculus is calculus fool you were suckered to believe your private is rigorous lol

Your kid can go to an instate engineering program but if they are getting cs in cal now they won’t graduate