Will a bad grade on my final bar me from great colleges?Answered
Hey, I'm a rising sophomore. All of my other finals were 95s and above, but my Honors Biology final was pretty bad. It's completely my fault since I didn't study nearly enough for it. I thought I could get by, but I couldn't, and I won't make that mistake again. I received an 81 on the final and my 94 in semester 2 dropped to a 91. My semester 1 grade was a 92 so my year average is 91.5. Will great colleges like the IVYs, Stanford, or MIT not consider me because of this grade?
Also, for context here are my grades:
Honors English 1: (S1) 94 | (S2) 96
College Prep Geometry: (S1) 91 | (S2) 93
Theology: (S1) 100 | (S2) 100
Honors Biology: (S1) 92 | (S2) 91
Spanish: (S1) 98 | (S2) 99
Ancient Civilizations: (S2) 96
Health: (S1) 100 | (S2) 100
Fundamentals of Art: (S1) 96
I understand I did not do well this year. I didn't study properly and made a ton of mistakes with my academics. I recognize this and I am resolved to do a lot better in the following years. I am also doing multiple extracurriculars, signing up for competitions, and more.
Thank you.
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2 answers
@keeks Hi, You do not have a single mark less than 91 and your GPA for sophomore year is like a 96.14. Honestly you are worrying way too much since there isn't a single college in the US that would deny you based on this grade report alone.
The only thing to think about with regards to your marks is context. So if your peers at your private school are going to be applying to IVYs, Stanford and MIT have better GPAs and Course Rigor than you do in 2 1/2 years, then you need to shore up your ECs and Intellectual Vitality/Curiosity.
At my schools a 96.14 would make you number one or number two in rank based on GPA since Deerfield Academy has such severe grade deflation. You get Honors status for a 90 overall GPA and High Honors for a 93.
Congratulations on a successful first year of high school. Keep in mind that Stanford will throw out your 9th grade marks anyway when they recalc your Stanford GPA when you apply. 9th grade really doesn't mean as much as what you accomplish in 10th and 11th, and to a lesser degree in 12th.
Good luck.
Relax! You did great for your freshman year! Your grades are all A's and that's all that matters. You did everything you needed to do! Universities like the one's you will listed will definetely like a student like you if you keep up the good work! Keep in mind that universities can't see your individual grades or the scores you got on tests or finals, just the overall score of the class. Keep your grades above a 90, and you will get to the school that you want. Trust me, I'm a junior at a very competitive school in the U.S., you're off to an amazing start, stop stressing so much. Recognize the hard work you put in.
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