What constitutes a failing grade in MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

OP, it feels tough right now, but it will be okay. If this is literally the only non-A your child gets, I doubt any college will even ask. But just make sure he is ready to explain what happened and how he will learn. Ignore the poster above. Some people just like to be mean around here. I don't think your first semester HS senior needs to be in the same maturity spot as a first semester college freshman. It will come with time and experience.

Thank you for your kind words! I have a question about the bolded: do colleges ask? I thought they would just look at the mid-year transcript and consider rejecting him. Is there a way for DS to be proactive and message the colleges? He looked at this possibility for his favorite college, but the application cannot be modified. Should he simply email the undergrad admissions department? Do you think this is a good strategy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

No they wont rescind. My DD’s friend got a D in AP chem senior year she was already accepted to an ivy. They did not rescind the offer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

OP, it feels tough right now, but it will be okay. If this is literally the only non-A your child gets, I doubt any college will even ask. But just make sure he is ready to explain what happened and how he will learn. Ignore the poster above. Some people just like to be mean around here. I don't think your first semester HS senior needs to be in the same maturity spot as a first semester college freshman. It will come with time and experience.

Thank you for your kind words! I have a question about the bolded: do colleges ask? I thought they would just look at the mid-year transcript and consider rejecting him. Is there a way for DS to be proactive and message the colleges? He looked at this possibility for his favorite college, but the application cannot be modified. Should he simply email the undergrad admissions department? Do you think this is a good strategy?

I'm just a regular parent who knows anecdotes This could be a good place for a school counselor who has likely seen it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

It sounds like you do understand what happened and the good news is that you got this lesson in high school rather than college. I haven't been in this situation, so I really don't know, but my guess is that if his college is concerned it would reach out to your son for an explanation (rescinding an offer without requesting informaion swems shortsighted, what if the student's mom died or something) -- it also sounds like he can explain what happened and what he has learned from the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

Got it. I totally understand why you didn't pull him out after the first MP as I would've thought he just needed to adjust to the rigor as well.

I do think that maybe this course is too advanced for him, but as you said, you've realized it too late to do much about it at this point since the damage is done.

Despite what the other poster on here claims, I'm not being mean. AP classes by their nature are designed to measure and demonstrate college readiness. Students who flourish in them are given more consideration and priority. And likewise, those who struggle or fail in those courses can be deemed less college ready and less desirable by colleges, particularly those that might be more selective.

At this point, maybe consider downgrading him to a pre-calc or statistics class. Even though it won't fix the D, it will demonstrate some level of advocacy and problem solving. And then IF there's a rejection, you can explain the context and the subsequent steps you took as a result of that failure in your appeal. I've heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think you'll benefit from proactively alerting the colleges about this bad grade, as they might overlook it or not care because the full body of work is impressive enough as is.

But I also don't think people should lie to you and say you have nothing to worry about. Doing poorly in an AP course is a red flag for many college admissions teams, but it might not be the thing that prevents your DS from being accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

Got it. I totally understand why you didn't pull him out after the first MP as I would've thought he just needed to adjust to the rigor as well.

I do think that maybe this course is too advanced for him, but as you said, you've realized it too late to do much about it at this point since the damage is done.

Despite what the other poster on here claims, I'm not being mean. AP classes by their nature are designed to measure and demonstrate college readiness. Students who flourish in them are given more consideration and priority. And likewise, those who struggle or fail in those courses can be deemed less college ready and less desirable by colleges, particularly those that might be more selective.

At this point, maybe consider downgrading him to a pre-calc or statistics class. Even though it won't fix the D, it will demonstrate some level of advocacy and problem solving. And then IF there's a rejection, you can explain the context and the subsequent steps you took as a result of that failure in your appeal. I've heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think you'll benefit from proactively alerting the colleges about this bad grade, as they might overlook it or not care because the full body of work is impressive enough as is.

But I also don't think people should lie to you and say you have nothing to worry about. Doing poorly in an AP course is a red flag for many college admissions teams, but it might not be the thing that prevents your DS from being accepted.

You just want to be a scaremonger. The kid has all As except one. Getting a C/D in BC Calculus is not a red flag for college readiness. It's probably one of the hardest APs, probably harder than many first year level college classes. Do you know how many kids avoid BC Calculus because they won't do well --- and then they go on to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

Got it. I totally understand why you didn't pull him out after the first MP as I would've thought he just needed to adjust to the rigor as well.

I do think that maybe this course is too advanced for him, but as you said, you've realized it too late to do much about it at this point since the damage is done.

Despite what the other poster on here claims, I'm not being mean. AP classes by their nature are designed to measure and demonstrate college readiness. Students who flourish in them are given more consideration and priority. And likewise, those who struggle or fail in those courses can be deemed less college ready and less desirable by colleges, particularly those that might be more selective.

At this point, maybe consider downgrading him to a pre-calc or statistics class. Even though it won't fix the D, it will demonstrate some level of advocacy and problem solving. And then IF there's a rejection, you can explain the context and the subsequent steps you took as a result of that failure in your appeal. I've heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think you'll benefit from proactively alerting the colleges about this bad grade, as they might overlook it or not care because the full body of work is impressive enough as is.

But I also don't think people should lie to you and say you have nothing to worry about. Doing poorly in an AP course is a red flag for many college admissions teams, but it might not be the thing that prevents your DS from being accepted.

You just want to be a scaremonger. The kid has all As except one. Getting a C/D in BC Calculus is not a red flag for college readiness. It's probably one of the hardest APs, probably harder than many first year level college classes. Do you know how many kids avoid BC Calculus because they won't do well --- and then they go on to college.

LOL I'm being a scaremonger by saying getting a D in an AP class could ding him? Especially if the college he's applying to is highly selective? Do you work in admissions? Can you guarantee the OP that this D won't be held against her son? You don't even know what colleges he's applying to to assure her that it won't matter. But here you are, anonymously making this reassurance for her? Get a grip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

Got it. I totally understand why you didn't pull him out after the first MP as I would've thought he just needed to adjust to the rigor as well.

I do think that maybe this course is too advanced for him, but as you said, you've realized it too late to do much about it at this point since the damage is done.

Despite what the other poster on here claims, I'm not being mean. AP classes by their nature are designed to measure and demonstrate college readiness. Students who flourish in them are given more consideration and priority. And likewise, those who struggle or fail in those courses can be deemed less college ready and less desirable by colleges, particularly those that might be more selective.

At this point, maybe consider downgrading him to a pre-calc or statistics class. Even though it won't fix the D, it will demonstrate some level of advocacy and problem solving. And then IF there's a rejection, you can explain the context and the subsequent steps you took as a result of that failure in your appeal. I've heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think you'll benefit from proactively alerting the colleges about this bad grade, as they might overlook it or not care because the full body of work is impressive enough as is.

But I also don't think people should lie to you and say you have nothing to worry about. Doing poorly in an AP course is a red flag for many college admissions teams, but it might not be the thing that prevents your DS from being accepted.

OP here. I understand, PP. DS wants to continue with this class because now it's *personal* His two reach applications are in the 10% acceptance rate and I am sure this C or D will definitely count against him. We've written them off already. The other colleges are in the 30-60% acceptance rate, and the one that already accepted him has the 60% acceptance rate. Since my son has learning disabilities and accommodations, and the schools can see that he took a resource class in 9th and 10th grade, he applied to a wide range of schools. It's really hard to know how his profile will be assessed by admissions officers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

Got it. I totally understand why you didn't pull him out after the first MP as I would've thought he just needed to adjust to the rigor as well.

I do think that maybe this course is too advanced for him, but as you said, you've realized it too late to do much about it at this point since the damage is done.

Despite what the other poster on here claims, I'm not being mean. AP classes by their nature are designed to measure and demonstrate college readiness. Students who flourish in them are given more consideration and priority. And likewise, those who struggle or fail in those courses can be deemed less college ready and less desirable by colleges, particularly those that might be more selective.

At this point, maybe consider downgrading him to a pre-calc or statistics class. Even though it won't fix the D, it will demonstrate some level of advocacy and problem solving. And then IF there's a rejection, you can explain the context and the subsequent steps you took as a result of that failure in your appeal. I've heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think you'll benefit from proactively alerting the colleges about this bad grade, as they might overlook it or not care because the full body of work is impressive enough as is.

But I also don't think people should lie to you and say you have nothing to worry about. Doing poorly in an AP course is a red flag for many college admissions teams, but it might not be the thing that prevents your DS from being accepted.

OP here. I understand, PP. DS wants to continue with this class because now it's *personal* His two reach applications are in the 10% acceptance rate and I am sure this C or D will definitely count against him. We've written them off already. The other colleges are in the 30-60% acceptance rate, and the one that already accepted him has the 60% acceptance rate. Since my son has learning disabilities and accommodations, and the schools can see that he took a resource class in 9th and 10th grade, he applied to a wide range of schools. It's really hard to know how his profile will be assessed by admissions officers.

PP here. Perfect! Honestly, since you provided more details, I think you're doing the best you can and either way, your son will get into a good school somewhere. So he shouldn't freak out about it. And if it ends up being a C rather than a D, I really wouldn't worry about it.

And I LOVE that he's motivated to keep going and overcome his setback. Honestly, that says more about him than the grade he's gotten!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

Got it. I totally understand why you didn't pull him out after the first MP as I would've thought he just needed to adjust to the rigor as well.

I do think that maybe this course is too advanced for him, but as you said, you've realized it too late to do much about it at this point since the damage is done.

Despite what the other poster on here claims, I'm not being mean. AP classes by their nature are designed to measure and demonstrate college readiness. Students who flourish in them are given more consideration and priority. And likewise, those who struggle or fail in those courses can be deemed less college ready and less desirable by colleges, particularly those that might be more selective.

At this point, maybe consider downgrading him to a pre-calc or statistics class. Even though it won't fix the D, it will demonstrate some level of advocacy and problem solving. And then IF there's a rejection, you can explain the context and the subsequent steps you took as a result of that failure in your appeal. I've heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think you'll benefit from proactively alerting the colleges about this bad grade, as they might overlook it or not care because the full body of work is impressive enough as is.

But I also don't think people should lie to you and say you have nothing to worry about. Doing poorly in an AP course is a red flag for many college admissions teams, but it might not be the thing that prevents your DS from being accepted.

You just want to be a scaremonger. The kid has all As except one. Getting a C/D in BC Calculus is not a red flag for college readiness. It's probably one of the hardest APs, probably harder than many first year level college classes. Do you know how many kids avoid BC Calculus because they won't do well --- and then they go on to college.

LOL I'm being a scaremonger by saying getting a D in an AP class could ding him? Especially if the college he's applying to is highly selective? Do you work in admissions? Can you guarantee the OP that this D won't be held against her son? You don't even know what colleges he's applying to to assure her that it won't matter. But here you are, anonymously making this reassurance for her? Get a grip.

Basically your post is putting forward a bunch of terrible situations when you don't actually know one way or another what will happen.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and we don't quite understand how it has come to this. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?

Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

Got it. I totally understand why you didn't pull him out after the first MP as I would've thought he just needed to adjust to the rigor as well.

I do think that maybe this course is too advanced for him, but as you said, you've realized it too late to do much about it at this point since the damage is done.

Despite what the other poster on here claims, I'm not being mean. AP classes by their nature are designed to measure and demonstrate college readiness. Students who flourish in them are given more consideration and priority. And likewise, those who struggle or fail in those courses can be deemed less college ready and less desirable by colleges, particularly those that might be more selective.

At this point, maybe consider downgrading him to a pre-calc or statistics class. Even though it won't fix the D, it will demonstrate some level of advocacy and problem solving. And then IF there's a rejection, you can explain the context and the subsequent steps you took as a result of that failure in your appeal. I've heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think you'll benefit from proactively alerting the colleges about this bad grade, as they might overlook it or not care because the full body of work is impressive enough as is.

But I also don't think people should lie to you and say you have nothing to worry about. Doing poorly in an AP course is a red flag for many college admissions teams, but it might not be the thing that prevents your DS from being accepted.

OP here. I understand, PP. DS wants to continue with this class because now it's *personal* His two reach applications are in the 10% acceptance rate and I am sure this C or D will definitely count against him. We've written them off already. The other colleges are in the 30-60% acceptance rate, and the one that already accepted him has the 60% acceptance rate. Since my son has learning disabilities and accommodations, and the schools can see that he took a resource class in 9th and 10th grade, he applied to a wide range of schools. It's really hard to know how his profile will be assessed by admissions officers.

PP here. Perfect! Honestly, since you provided more details, I think you're doing the best you can and either way, your son will get into a good school somewhere. So he shouldn't freak out about it. And if it ends up being a C rather than a D, I really wouldn't worry about it.

And I LOVE that he's motivated to keep going and overcome his setback. Honestly, that says more about him than the grade he's gotten!

NP here. When my DS was admitted to UMD (pre-covid) he pretty much stopped all work in spring (and it took us a while to realize it.) He went from mostly As to Cs and Ds. Conversations were had around "dude, you have to pass art if you want to graduate". After send the final transcript in summer, he got a letter at the end of summer that began with "We noticed a drop in your grades when we reviewed your final transcript ..." and then provided a list of school supports and what would happen if he ended up on academic probation. It was clear that this was not uncommon for accepted students.

Obviously I can't say what will happen for your DS's schools, but a single poor grade isn't an automatic rescinding of offer of admission.

[Anonymous]

OP--if your kid is stressed about this, it's actually still possible to retake the course. There are approved online (on your own schedule) courses for most AP courses including BC. Talk with the counselor, as you need pre approval. If he could take it quickly (maybe feasible since it would be a repeat attempt) he could finish the first semester concurrent with next semester. The new grade replaces the old.

Note, though, that schools also care if you change your schedule senior year. For instance, he could drop down to AB but that would potentially also be something the school would care about. (Perhaps not... but my kid had an early admit letter and that admission letter definitely said they expected the kid to stay in the schedule they indicated on their application).

[Anonymous]

WJ parent here - should.i be worried for next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one fails in mcps anymore. Lowest you can get is a D which is not failing. Remember the 50% rule? So no one fails in mcps.

Idiot. 50% is a failing grade.