Will A minuses affect my college applications?Answered
I am a junior in high school and am currently taking 5 AP classes and 1 regular class(AP Language and Composition, AP Biology, AP Physics 1, AP Calculus BC, APUSH, and Business Entrepreneurship). MIT is my dream school, so I want to do my best in AP Physics 1 and AP Calculus BC. Currently I have an A(94.1%) in Calculus and an A-(92.1%) in Physics. I also have a high B(87.6%) in Biology. I have mid-range A's(around 94%) in APUSH and AP Lang, and an A+(around 99%) in Business Entrepreneurship.
At my school, A-/A/A+ are all weighted equally at 4.0, and similarly for B-/B/B+(at 3.0). This is all on the 4.0 unweighted scale of course. Would it be worth it to try to get a solid A(at least 93.0%) in both Calculus and Physics? If I set my sights lower and only aim for an A minus in those classes, there is a higher chance that I would get my Biology grade up to an A minus. But if I aim for an A in AP Physics 1 and AP Calculus BC, then I might end AP Biology with a B or B+.
I plan to major in statistics or data science, and as mentioned I want to go to MIT. Should I try to get a solid A in Calculus and Physics, or should I concentrate more of my effort into Biology and trying to get an A- there? I am unsure if MIT will look at my specific letter grade in the courses I am taking, or recalculate my unweighted/weighted GPA based on A=4.0, A-=3.7 etc.
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5 answers
I think generally it depends on what you're aiming to study in college. I am also a junior and have only taken AP European History and AP Environmental Science since AP courses just became available last year, but I want to be a lawyer. I got an A- in AP Euro and currently have an A- in AP Env, but I do not think any college admissions office is going to look at what I would like to major in and discredit my record because of "imperfect" grades in those classes. They also take into consideration the difficulty level of the courses, so technically, those would probably level out to be an A+ in an honors class, and even higher in a CP class. And also, I must say that is quite an impressive list of classes! Just do not ever jeopardize your physical or mental health simply to appear appealing to colleges. DON'T STRESS IT... YOU GOT THIS!
#APStrong:)
Receiving an A or B in an AP class is exceptionally good nonetheless and colleges will not typically "mark off" for having a "B". In theory, you should focus on Calculus and AP Physics, especially if aiming for MIT but I believe getting an A- and bringing up the B grade in Biology will be beneficial. And to answer your title, no an A-minus or a B (like I have previously stated) will not affect your college application.
I think your doing pretty well. AP classes are college courses and the fact that you're taking 5 is pretty amazing. I think it's more beneficial to focus on the courses that reflect on what you want to major in, but don't forget to focus on other courses. Next year, however, I would suggest not taking so much AP classes. Colleges care more about you having high grades in a difficult class or 2, than you taking all difficult courses with okayish grades.
I think the general rule of thumb is to try your absolute best in classes that relate to what you want to major in and core classes. Overall try your best in all your classes as schools usually spend a lot of time reviewing your transcript. I went to an application analysis event held by a college and they said they focus on transcripts more than gpas because they can vary greatly. From an overview you could have a good gpa but a look at a transcript could show them that while your gpa is good it's because you got mostly A+s but also have a D in something which could be red flag. 5 APs at once is a lot though so i'm my opinion have As and A-s is totally understandable. One more footnote is to make sure you do well in your one standard class. It should be easier so it would be a bit off if you did poorly there but great in the AP's, they said it gives the impression you were slacking which isn't a good look.
It depends on which school you go to and if colleges know if they have grade inflation.
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I see. However, what would you say is a high vs ok grade? Is an A- still in the high category?