B+ math grade in sophomore year (hear me out pls)Answered
Before reading, please know that I'm not at all trying to ragebait or be an insufferable perfectionist. I genuinely just want some second opinions about my situation.
I just finished my first sophomore semester of high school with a B+ in Algebra 2 honors. I know it's not inherently bad, but my high school is very competitive (California) and people tend to be quite math-smart around here. Math is the only subject I have been getting Bs in. In freshman year geometry honors I had one B+ but made it an A- second semester, thankfully. But with this new B+ I feel like my GPA will continue to drop, especially since the math is going to get harder and I need to take AP Calc. I studied and practiced really hard for the MULTIPLE CHOICE math final, but I ended up getting an 80%. My retake for one test was also not to my expectations.
I just feel like I lost a bunch of opportunities to end the year with at least an A-. I want to go to a good UC school at least, to major in biology or biochemistry. If my graduating class weren't so competitive, I wouldn't be worried. This year, my classmates are taking APs or even harder math courses. I'm not taking any APs, only three honors. If I'm already slacking off sophomore year and getting a mid grade in a class freshmans are also taking, will it significantly reduce my competitiveness in college apps? Especially in a world with perfect GPAs... I also understand that proficiency in math is crucial for science majors.
With that said, to make up for not taking the hardest classes sophomore year, I feel like I need to take precalc over the summer so I can do AP Calc AB junior year, and AP stats senior. I will take AP Chem junior year as well, and I'm also debating whether to take APUSH or not. I'm afraid I will burn out, as my endurance and efficiency is much worse than all my classmates, though I don't procrastinate. I feel like I'm not reaching even the bare educational minimum of what my class is doing, and that I'm falling behind. What should my strategy be to survive the rest of high school, and build my scientific passion without the mathematical deficiency?
(I'm involved in several extracurriculars in case you wondered)
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2 answers
First of all, one B+ definitely isn't bad, especially in an honors class. Having less rigor than your classmates also isn't bad, just a sign that you are aware of your limits. Colleges like to see rigor (which you have by the way with 3 honors courses) but they also like to see good grades. They don't want you to take crazy hard classes and fail all of them.
It can be super hard to go to a competitive high school but don't worry, you are doing great, especially considering you have only one B+.
Taking precalc over the summer seems like a good plan if you are sure you can manage it and manage Calc AB junior year. However, don't feel pressured to take it just because other people in your school are doing harder math classes than you.
For APUSH, it depends on how hard it is at your school and how good you are in history, but since it's not related to your major, don't feel like it is a must-take. It can add depth and rigor to your transcript, though, if you do well! It can also be a really fun class if you like history.
Tips for burnout: You're already way ahead of a lot of other people if you don't procrastinate. However, I know it can be really hard to stay focused and committed, especially in a competitive high school. I would recommend taking at least 1-2 classes per year that you are really passionate about and genuinely enjoy. They may be related to your major in biology or biochemistry, or they could be a completely different subject that you just enjoy. Having those classes every day can really help with the burnout. Extracurriculars can also help by giving you a brain break every day. I would recommend that when you are at your ECs, give yourself a break from school. Don't think about it at all if you can.
For your scientific passion, I would again recommend taking classes that you enjoy, especially in the sciences! Also, if offered at your school, you might really like science extracurriculars like Science Olympiad. Don't worry too much about the math part. Although it may be your weakest subject, you're still doing very well.
Last thing: Don't let your classmates get you down about yourself. You are not "falling behind," and you are definitely reaching more than the "bare educational minimum" that colleges want to see. Keep working hard and you will be just fine!
(Sorry this is a really long answer)
I can't lie precalc is pretty tough and a good foundational, I would rec not taking it over the summer. That being said I was really bad at precalc but I found calc AB much easier as the concepts are more intuitive so I do think it will get better.
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@probablyreading: Thank you, this is helpful! I took AP Bio freshman year and I enjoyed it, so I'm going to attempt USABO (USA biology olympiad) in 2026, even though I probably don't stand a chance lol. I'm also in the school science bowl and bioolympiad, but I don't have leadership positions and am not part of official teams. I'm serious about music and play a JV sport, but are these ECs too common or look superficial? (lots of classmates also do these)