Colleges will give greater weight to your actual grades in the classes than to your AP scores, at least for admissions purposes. (Course placement is another matter; most colleges won’t give credit for anything below a 3.) Having said that, I would recommend taking only those AP exams you feel confident about in the future. It looks much better to have fewer, higher AP scores than a bunch of lower scores. In a nutshell; Don’t worry about the scores you’ve already received, but take only the exams you feel confident about this coming year.

Well, all you can do now is work as hard as you can to improve your grades. If you're successful in doing so, then you could write a letter to the colleges to explain why your grades went down. Assuming it's a plausible reason, and assuming that you're able to increase them back up to where they were, you will have done your best to minimize the damage from your grade decline. And, colleges will appreciate your candor. That would be my approach.

It's hard to answer that for sure. It depends on the colleges, your grade point average, SAT scores, etc. The AP courses definitely "look" good. However, my opinion is that I wouldn't take the AP course unless you're confident that (1) you'll get at least a B in the course, and (2) you plan on taking some of the AP exams. I'd also suggest taking something in between AP and regular such as honors courses.

It depends on the school. Most make their approvals conditioned on satisfactory completion of the student's remaining high school courses and receiving their degree. This may involve not getting below a "C" on certain required courses. In general, it is very rare for a college to rescind its offer; however I advise that you check with the school your son wants to apply to and find out the specific requirements after being admitted.

Typically, a college gives college credit for AP course exams with a score of 3 or better. The exam part of an AP course is optional, but why take the class if you're not going to take the exam? Each college, though, has their own system for how they treat AP courses. You'll have to find out from the specific college.

It'll count, but you know, it's better to get 1.7 in your freshman year than in your senior year. However, colleges are big into improvement, so I think in some ways, it will help you stand out. If there is a compelling story, tell it in your essay. You also need to apply to some safety schools. Hope for the best but be prepared.

Well, maybe not doomed. There’s a lesson here for students applying to college, though, which is, “Don’t assume your school’s curriculum is known or understood by each college to which you are applying.” When an alternative curriculum like you’ve described is involved, the student’s responsibility is to take charge of the situation. The student should advise the high school guidance counselor that his or her application is going to certain colleges, and the student should question the counselor about whether the various college admissions offices are going to be familiar with the high school’s unique curriculum. If not, the student needs to ensure that the school contact those colleges to update them about the curriculum. Otherwise, getting passed over is certainly possible.

Basically, I think you have to take the best course that you can get the best grade in. There’s no sense in flunking Honors English. Colleges do consider the quality of the course you took, and more selective colleges, of course, have higher expectations. Many students feel that every course they take has to be an honors class. You might want to cut back on the difficulty of some classes while challenging yourself in others. Some of us are great in English, others in math. Colleges understand that.

Few students are “perfect” across the board. A high SAT and a ranking in the top 10% might mean you’re simply in school with a lot of smart people. It might also mean that you attend a lousy school where achievement at the high end is not very challenging and so students are bunched together at the top. Unfortunately, most students have no idea how their high school stacks up against others. You could get some idea, though, by asking the guidance office where other students have applied and been accepted (like in prior years). If you’ve got no students going to highly selective colleges, you might conclude that none were able to get in. The other thing is that colleges don’t put much weight on class rank. And high schools hate them.

Test scores, grades, and rank are not enough. Highly selective colleges are looking for well-rounded students with diverse interests. Even your extracurricular activities sound as if they are academically oriented. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean you need to play a sport. Some of us are not sports minded. Being just a junior, though, gives you two years to develop an interest and pursue it. You may also have great qualifications that you are overlooking, too. Do you play a musical instrument well? Have you traveled extensively? I would suggest meeting with your school’s guidance counselor to explore how you can round out your qualification without sports.

If your school selects this method of grading, they need to have a plan in place for educating college admissions counselors on how to evaluate prospective applicants from your school. In addition, it is my opinion that a gradeless transcript with serve to accentuate other aspects of your application—for better or worse—including things like standardized test scores, class rank, extracurricular activities, essays, and more. You should feel free to discuss your concerns with your high school guidance office. Absolutely do not let them blow this off with, “Oh, colleges know about us.”

As for other schools using a similar system, I’d ask for a list. Your school must be making decisions on the basis of some information, and you should know what it is. Once you identify other schools, don’t hesitate to call their guidance office and ask what they do to inform colleges about students—and most important, to what schools their students are successful in gaining admissions. If it’s a weak list, take note.

Sometimes, explanations come across the wrong way. As a junior, you still have time to improve your GPA, although a 3.5 is nothing to sneeze at. You might be able to make colleges aware of your personal challenges without sounding like you’re crying foul. If you’ve overcome some obstacle in your life, perhaps your essay is a place to describe the challenges you’ve faced and how you dealt with them. I think that is a much more powerful approach than attaching a note to your application saying, “I would have done better if only...”

Language requirements vary from one school to the next, and often from one program to the next. The only way you’re going to know for sure is to investigate specific opportunities. As an aside, as we become more of a multi-cultural society, the ability to converse in multiple languages is a plus. It will help you, perhaps, more in your career than in your college education. If Spanish is something that you’re doing well in, you might consider another year for reasons beyond college admissions.

Colleges will look at your overall GPA much more so than individual course work averages. The exception, of course, would be that if you were applying to a math-related field, for example, your math grades would be examined more closely. I don’t think you’ve done yourself any favors in applying to “very competitive schools” with a math scores in the eighties and seventies. These schools are simply able to select students who have all the tickets, and unfortunately for you, there are plenty of them to choose from. However, I would encourage you to apply to your top two choice anyway. Beyond that, find schools which specialize in the academic areas in which you excel. Straight “A”s in math this year would help a lot, too. Good luck.

Not likely. But it depends on how your particular school cumulates grade point averages. If, like most schools, it is at the completion of a course and based on your final grade, then you’re OK. However, if they are averaging semester grades, then you have a different situation. But this is a factor in your overall GPA. I can’t imagine a high school releasing mid-year grades on specific courses. Go to your school guidance office for a better understand of how your school operates.

An unweighted GPA means that a school gives you 4 points for any class in which you make an A (3 for a B, 2 for a C, 1 for a D) regardless of whether it’s an honors, AP class, etc.

A weighted GPA means that your school gives extra points for certain classes (usually advanced, honors/AP/IB classes).

With regard to your last question, colleges will recalculate your GPA so as to level the field between students whose schools calculate GPA’s differently. So you don’t need to worry about which one they pay more attention to. Just worry about earning the best grades possible. Good luck!

Admissions committees will consider each of these things, but they are usually most interested in your overall grade trends. This means they’re not just interested in your overall GPA but in how you perform from one semester to the next and one year to the next in both individual courses and overall.

That said, it’s important to know that admissions committees typically recalculate your GPA using a formula they come up with. This way they can account for the different ways schools calculate GPA’s and enable themselves to compare different students. Good luck!

Admissions committees evaluate applicants primarily using six factors: grades, rigor of curriculum, essays, recommendations, extracurriculars (and leadership in those activities in particular), and SAT/ACT scores. So yes, they do consider your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but these are by no means the only or even the most important factors. Each of these six factors is very important, though it’s impossible to say what percentage each counts.

To the best of my knowledge, they will not look at your school exam scores. Good luck!

Typically, admissions committees only consider your overall grades and grade trends. (I don’t even know if your exam grades go on your transcript.)

It’s also worth noting that applications include a space for you to explain any unusual grade trends. If you’re concerned about your exams lowering your semester averages, you may want to use this space to explain these grades. Just make sure you also show admissions committees how you’ve overcome this problem and assure them that similar problems won’t affect your college performance.

Finally, keep in mind that you’re only a freshman. While your grades are important, admissions committees pay more attention to the grades you earn in the latter half of high school than they do to those you earn during your first year or two. They know many students struggle to adapt to high school life and that junior- and senior-year courses are more comparable to college-level courses. Good luck!

Yes, you would get in trouble. Don't think about doing it. The new college might be able to track your past attendance down in a second since you received a grant anyway. Besides, most colleges ask every student to list any other past institutions they have attended. You do not want to start off your new college career by lying! Your best bet is to explain any extenuating circumstances to the admissions office or in your application and present reasons for your fresh determination to succeed. (Since you have to fill out a FAFSA every year, you may still receive financial aid for this next year.) Again, honesty equals integrity. If you want to have the hope of being a person of good character, I urge you to remember this! By the way, if you are attending a community college, you may have chances to highly improve your grades and replace your old grades for core courses with new ones. So make sure to check into that option as well. Colleges aren't against you, so you don't have to lie to them and treat them as the enemy. Your college wants to help you succeed and will provide you with the help you need if you do your part to seek that help out.

Well, I wouldn't say it's ever too late! But you're right to start busting your butt now. The best thing you could do to get help on college life and studying is to look over our whole website. There are lots of resources we've written up in the past on MyCollegeGuide.org that will advise you on college life and study principles. Another really helpful site you could check out is www.studytips.org.

But honestly, one of the best things you can do to improve your study skills, study habits, and your own schedule boundaries is to get somebody who will hold you accountable to sit down and do your work. Think of it as finding a personal trainer for academics instead of athletics. If you have somebody who will push you to stay focused and complete your work, who will motivate you from the outside, that's going to be your best bet. Whether it's your roommate, an adviser, a mentor, or trusted adult in town, get somebody who won't be afraid to push you and keep you on track.

It does seem a bit extreme, doesn't it? I wouldn't necessarily say that your son is automatically disqualified from all top-tier schools because of this one grade. It sounds like he has great standing overall in the various areas of his high-school career. But it is true that some schools go through so many applications that they have to use at least something as an automatic cutoff, and in a few cases perhaps it could be a grade. But I really wouldn't worry about it since his GPA is otherwise excellent.

If you want a more personal and complex perspective on the college application glut, I suggest you read this very interesting article by a recently retired high school admissions counselor and contributor to the New York Times.

And of course, if the grade is still a concern, then your son should feel free to appeal to his teacher for extra work or an alternative way of raising his grade for this particular course. He may also want to consider attempting to raise his score on the SAT if he feels it is a concern. I urge you both to also remember that attending one of the top of the top colleges is not a necessity to succeeding in life. There are plenty of wonderful schools in the country, and some you might not have thought of could be an ideal fit for your son (especially considering his baseball talent). My best to your son and to your family.

Of course. You don't need a straight-A transcript in order to attend a four-year college! That's absurd. Many students think that one low grade will condemn them to community college forever. It's simply not true.

That being said, of course work to improve your grade. Might as well do the best you can.

You still have some hope. There are state universities and other four-year universities who are not as selective as some other colleges, so ask around to find out which colleges those are. And yes, definitely do as well as you can with the rest of your junior year and your whole senior year. Prepare well for your SAT/ACT test(s) and do the very best you can. Talk to your teachers and see how you can improve your current grades (extra credit? staying after school to get some extra help?) Talk to your guidance counselor. Take the initiative. Your teachers want to help you succeed. Use them as a resource. Get your parent(s) or another trusted adult to hold you accountable to complete your assignments. Working hard feels really good once you've done some of it. It's even kind of a rush.

Most of all, don't give up hope. Lots of teenagers who are struggling go on to do very well in college. It sounds like you have developed the mindset to turn things around and do the same. But you must take action. Don't just think about doing well and then slip back into laziness. You have some control and some choices; rise to the challenge! Now is the time to become the adult you could be! My best to you.

Thanks for your question. If the two grades are somewhat comparable and one is a little better than the other, I don't think you need to base your decision on that. Instead, which teacher did you connect with more? Which one might be able to talk about your skills and strengths a bit better? I would base your recommendation decision on those factors rather than simply which gave you a better grade. So, if the honors English teacher knew you better, then don't be afraid to ask that teacher. Good luck.

Here's my honest advice: At this point, especially since you have above a 4.0, I think you should take the class you want to take more. Take the one that will give you energy and joy, whether that's belting out classical tunes or unraveling the mysteries of the brain. If you learn now to be true to what you truly enjoy instead of trying to please colleges, that will probably take you farther than your GPA ever could.

You're right that it's typically better to work at keeping up your grades in an honors or AP course rather than dropping down. But of course, if you're getting an F, that might be a different matter. I would talk to your honors teacher first before anything and see if you can get some extra help outside of class or get some kind of extra chance to raise your grade in any way. That might include asking a parent or trusted other mentor to help you study. But typically teachers are happy to help you work hard and improve your grades. They want you to succeed, so take advantage of that possibility first before you would drop down. Good luck.

This is only an idea, since I don't have too much information from your email, but it could be that you just have to adapt your study habits, or perhaps you have a different learning style from most people. Do you have trouble concentrating in class? Are you antsy and can't sit still? Are there ways you've noticed you do focus better (for example, after taking a nap or going for a run - or maybe you need the room to be completely silent)? Do you have to schedule your study time for a specific time of the day? Maybe you learn better by listening, or maybe you have to be looking at a picture or diagram.

I would reflect on how you concentrate and learn best, because it could be that you're simply a smart person who doesn't have the same learning style or same needs as a traditional classroom learner. Ask people around you to give you input as well. Friends and family can usually offer good insights. Also, many universities offer specialized study and note-taking options for people who just need a different kind of support. It could be that once you figure yourself out a little more you could go on to a university and do very well. Or you might find that you like the idea of attending a vocational school even more.

Hope this at least gives you something to chew on.

It's certainly not too late for you. Definitely keep your grades up as high as you can, and if you are able to go back and retake some classes during your first two years (in summer school or an option like that), go ahead and do that too. Something else I would suggest is that you start volunteering at a hospital or in hospice care to assist people and take care of them in a medical setting. If you don't have time to do that during the year, do some volunteering in the summer. That kind of experience would show colleges and nursing programs that you are serious about wanting to be a nurse.

Once you graduate high school, certainly apply to some four-year universities. You can apply to some community colleges too if need be, but you might not have to worry about it. Either way, the most important thing is that you show a steady track of academic improvement/high grades during the next few years. That, too, will show your commitment toward being a nurse. You're still young, and you still have time to turn things around. Go for it!

Ah, yes. School starts to get a little autopilot-feeling around this time, doesn't it? That sounds totally normal to me. Well, it sounds like you're already taking the necessary steps to avoid becoming a burnout at age 17. I don't think it's a deal-breaker to step down from a leadership position, especially if it will help you keep your grades up. At this point (since you already have leadership positions in some other things), I think it's a good idea to focus on maintaining your GPA.

To focus on motivation - have you envisioned one or two schools that you're really interested in? Have you been able to imagine yourself walking through the gates of that campus? That might help as a one-second motivational tool whenever you're feeling kind of blah about life or school. Also...have you ever kept a journal? You might want to start tracking or reflecting on whenever you feel down - you may find that you're able to trace it back to a certain time of the day (or time of the year), or that it's tied to interactions with certain people, or that there are certain pathways that lead to slipping into weird thought patterns. I really think that keeping a journal for a while could help you process all the different things swirling around in your brain.

But, chances are you'll probably also need somebody to help you stay up with things, not just your own imaginations and reflections. Do you have a friend who will work hard with you but also take a break and enjoy a Friday night movie with you? Can you ask a parent or sibling to check in on you and ask how you're feeling and help you stay disciplined? I think gathering a support system, at this point, might be the single most helpful thing you can do for yourself at this moment. And don't worry - working through lack of motivation and challenging yourself to stay strong is an essential part of becoming an adult. Sounds to me like you're on your way there.

 A transcript that shows strengths and weaknesses is common, and an admissions committee at any school will be able to decipher whether the student is a strong candidate by using a variety of measurements including test scores, GPA, extracurricular activities, essays, recommendations, and possibly even an interview. To answer your question, there is no guarantee that any top school will disregard non-science course work. In fact, many science and medical programs are more frequently considering students with backgrounds in humanities and social sciences. My suggestion is to encourage your son to think hard about what field he would like to study and why. Strong test scores and a high GPA leaning toward the sciences will indicate strengths toward his chosen field, and a polished essay that speaks objectively about future goals will strengthen the application even further as will meaningful involvement in a few activities. A perfect GPA says very little without these other elements, so don't worry too much about the imbalance. Your son should pick schools that are a good fit financially and academically, and not worry too much about the GPA. Best of luck to you!

The answer is yes. You can certainly still gain admission to a college, but you may need to take the ACT or SAT. That will depend on the college's admission requirements. It is highly commendable that you have raised your grades and participated in an internship. A school will likely see your recent transcripts as a sign of improvement and lifestyle change. When determining an admission decision, schools look at a variety of factors including grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, and essays. You can find out about studying for the ACT and SAT online. High scores on the tests your chosen school requires will be an important factor in your application. Study hard, and don't give up. College is definitely still in reach!

I'm sorry to hear of your dilemma. The answer is this: They'll look at both. However, if you show a great improvement from your last year in high school to community college, it is likely that a university will interpret that improvement as maturity and growth. Many students find a way to become more organized and ambitious later in high school, and college committees know that. The best route for you to take now is one of earnest improvement. Get a tutor if possible, and try to raise those grades. Also, as long as it doesn't interfere with your studies, think about joining a few clubs or organizations that interest you. You'll meet other students and you may find it easier to excel in class with a better sense of community. In sum, don't give up yet! You still have time to show that you're serious about your education and goals. All it takes is a little effort, focus, and belief in yourself!

This is a great question that many future applicants have. First, AP and honors classes are designed to challenge students who are ready for a higher level of learning. Unless you can earn a B or higher in these courses, it is not generally advised that you take on the challenge. They are more difficult and demanding that regular classes but are also better preparation for college coursework. A college will factor in the academic rigor of your transcript when assessing your grades, so a B or higher in an AP chemistry class might hold more weight than an A in a regular level class. Remember, though, that the GPA is only one of many factors the school will consider including test scores, recommendations, essays, and activities outside of academics.