Did I just blow it?

[panvard92]

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Is this bad?

*9th, just moved to a new distrct/school different from 8th grade. School was in its first year of opening so things were...not....organized (for example: bad teachers)*
Bio H: A+
Bio Lab H: A-
Spanish I H: A+ (would've been in Franch 3, but the new school only offered spanish)
English H: A
Combined Alg 1 & 2 : A

*10th, yet again, moved to another district diff from 9th*
APUSH I: B- (this isn't my intelligence. it's the fact that the teacher gave you the grade based on whether he liked you or not...)
Pre calc H: B
Chemistry H: A
Anatomy and Phys A: A
Spanish II A: A-
English II H: B+

*11th grade...same school...currently in*
APUSH II: ...B/B+...?
AP calc BC: ...B/B+ (hope to bring up to an A- by the end of the year)
AP Bio: ...B/B+ 😱
Spanish III H: B/B+
AP Macro: A-
AP Lang: A-
Genetics H: A/A+

The 11th grade grades are projected...they're what I think I'm gonna get...but...I guess that's the worst case senario too (unless I drop to a C in some class, which I really hope doesn't happen)

Worst of all, I'm applying for a bio/biochem major, so IF I get a B in bio, I'm sorta screwed.

can someone pleease give me some feedback? I sorta want to keep my hopes up for UPenn or Columbia...AND med school

 

[BNZN32]

Stop spazzing out. You're grades are fine. Besides no-one cares what grades you got in high school. Just get to a 4 year school (doesn't have to be Harvard) and do well there.

 

[tennisball80]

Just wondering, you guys don't take art classes or music classes ?

 

[panvard92]

yeah we do. I had orchestra in 10th grade. Now I play the violin outside of school.

I just didn't write it because I was sticking to the academic subjects.

 

[panvard92]

oh and...yes, I know I don't have to get into Harvard to get to medschool...but...I like UPenn (not because it's an Ivy)...

 

[poiuyt123]

Is this bad?

*9th, just moved to a new distrct/school different from 8th grade. School was in its first year of opening so things were...not....organized (for example: bad teachers)*
Bio H: A+
Bio Lab H: A-
Spanish I H: A+ (would've been in Franch 3, but the new school only offered spanish)
English H: A
Combined Alg 1 & 2 : A

*10th, yet again, moved to another district diff from 9th*
APUSH I: B- (this isn't my intelligence. it's the fact that the teacher gave you the grade based on whether he liked you or not...)
Pre calc H: B
Chemistry H: A
Anatomy and Phys A: A
Spanish II A: A-
English II H: B+

*11th grade...same school...currently in*
APUSH II: ...B/B+...?
AP calc BC: ...B/B+ (hope to bring up to an A- by the end of the year)
AP Bio: ...B/B+ 😱
Spanish III H: B/B+
AP Macro: A-
AP Lang: A-
Genetics H: A/A+

The 11th grade grades are projected...they're what I think I'm gonna get...but...I guess that's the worst case senario too (unless I drop to a C in some class, which I really hope doesn't happen)

Worst of all, I'm applying for a bio/biochem major, so IF I get a B in bio, I'm sorta screwed.

can someone pleease give me some feedback? I sorta want to keep my hopes up for UPenn or Columbia...AND med school

You people who are still in high school seriously need to stop worrying. Your making it sound like the world is over just because you got a few b's or c's and that your never gonna make it into medical school. I could understand if people were worried during undergrad because your grades really count at that point but worrying during high school is just pathetic and ridiculous.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Is this bad?

*9th, just moved to a new distrct/school different from 8th grade. School was in its first year of opening so things were...not....organized (for example: bad teachers)*
Bio H: A+
Bio Lab H: A-
Spanish I H: A+ (would've been in Franch 3, but the new school only offered spanish)
English H: A
Combined Alg 1 & 2 : A

*10th, yet again, moved to another district diff from 9th*
APUSH I: B- (this isn't my intelligence. it's the fact that the teacher gave you the grade based on whether he liked you or not...)
Pre calc H: B
Chemistry H: A
Anatomy and Phys A: A
Spanish II A: A-
English II H: B+

*11th grade...same school...currently in*
APUSH II: ...B/B+...?
AP calc BC: ...B/B+ (hope to bring up to an A- by the end of the year)
AP Bio: ...B/B+ 😱
Spanish III H: B/B+
AP Macro: A-
AP Lang: A-
Genetics H: A/A+

The 11th grade grades are projected...they're what I think I'm gonna get...but...I guess that's the worst case senario too (unless I drop to a C in some class, which I really hope doesn't happen)

Worst of all, I'm applying for a bio/biochem major, so IF I get a B in bio, I'm sorta screwed.

can someone pleease give me some feedback? I sorta want to keep my hopes up for UPenn or Columbia...AND med school

High School grades don't matter. Do well in your undergrad and you will be just fine. For now, just worry about enjoying High School. And as a heads up, many Med schools won't accept AP credit, so you will most likely have to retake most of the AP classes you are taking (esp AP Bio) anyways.

 

[Sicnor]

As most have said already, don't freak out.
Have fun in High School. Develop some really good study habits. Join some clubs and volunteer at a local hospital or free clinic. Shadow some doctors. Your grades do not matter so much in High School. But it's a good test to see if you'll be able to handle undergrad. And, looking at your grades, I think you're going to be just fine.👍

 

[panvard92]

I realize that high schoolers (okay..."I") may sound a bit histronic. I swear, I don't think we mean to. I know that undergrad is a lot more important, but I just hate it when people say that AP's are like college level courses...and on top of that, its suckier when you're in a HUGE school with a lot more competitive students. Who all want the samething you do: the best possible undergrad they can get into

And...there's always that [mis?]conception that better undergrad=better grad...

 

[CScull]

Chill out and have fun, decide which colleges you want to apply to for under-grad and find the average ACT, SAT, GPA, and Class Ranking students who are accepted to the colleges you want to attend have (Collegeboard.com). Do ECs that you enjoy, take up leadership positions and volunteer for causes you support.

Be sure to challenge yourself in school, but never take on more than you can handle. Also, don't pick up ECs solely to look good on a resume or to fill space, make sure what you do is meaningful to you.

The main reason high school grades and ACT/SAT matter is for under-grad acceptance, College GPA and MCATs will be what really matters for applying to graduate school.

 

[175961]

unless youre planning on going to some big shot, prestigious university dont worry. if you are....then OMFG!!!!! you are so freaking screwed its not even funny

 

[135892]

Those grades certainly aren't bad... but if you want to go to the likes of UPenn, then yeah, you need to start bringing those grades up, as well as making sure to get some quality ECs, and making sure to rock the SAT/ACT...

But if med school is your ultimate goal, then it really doesn't matter where you go go undergrad and I would recommend you go to the cheapest school that you would be happy at. And, by the way, high school grades mean absolutely nothing when it comes time to appply to med school.

Best of luck.

 

[ylrebmik]

..... this disgusts me. You're taking tons of AP courses... getting Bs in them... and thinking you have a problem for med school when they aren't even going to consider your high school career....



...............

 

[dragonfly99]

I think if you are at a very competitive high school, then having some B's is not going to be the end of the world. The AP classes are weighted, right? I hardly took ANY AP courses in high school and I ended up going to a "top 5" med school. Also my undergraduate school, though very, very good IMHO, was not very famous. So standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, etc. end up making a lot of impact, as well as your grades, even in the med school admission process. I wouldn't worry about taking every single AP class in the world...even if you take AP courses I would recommend retaking general chem and perhaps even intro biology in college...take it with other premeds...the schools like Penn will teach you what you need to know for med school.

Would think that your high school guidance counselor should be able to tell you what would be competitive GPA to go from your school to Penn...assuming you are in the NE and in a large metro area w/a large competitive high school, he/she is probably familiar with the school's admissions standards. I would agree with some of the cautions on here about maybe thinking about conserving money during undergrad (i.e. go somewhere you can get a scholarship) so that you don't have to get too in debt just to go to college...but that is just my opinion. If Penn is your dream school, then maybe it is worth it to pay the money, but be careful. I'm paying off 130k in student loans just from med school, and it's kind of painful...I mean $540/month for the next 30 years, and that's only at 2.87% interest. You have to think about this stuff. You could just apply there early decision if you like it so much...I'll bet that will help you to get in.

But don't worry...you'll do fine. Telling us your grades doesn't really tell us anything...they are so dependent on where you go to school, and how many AP courses, etc. Even among different high schools the difficulty of AP courses varies markedly. I don't even understand the terminology/names of some of the classes you are taking.

I wouldn't worry about med school yet, or even about deciding on a major for college. Would try to avoid grades less than B's in high school, but don't freak if you don't ace everything. Try to get a good SAT or ACT score and join some clubs, etc.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Is this bad?

*9th, just moved to a new distrct/school different from 8th grade. School was in its first year of opening so things were...not....organized (for example: bad teachers)*
Bio H: A+
Bio Lab H: A-
Spanish I H: A+ (would've been in Franch 3, but the new school only offered spanish)
English H: A
Combined Alg 1 & 2 : A

*10th, yet again, moved to another district diff from 9th*
APUSH I: B- (this isn't my intelligence. it's the fact that the teacher gave you the grade based on whether he liked you or not...)
Pre calc H: B
Chemistry H: A
Anatomy and Phys A: A
Spanish II A: A-
English II H: B+

*11th grade...same school...currently in*
APUSH II: ...B/B+...?
AP calc BC: ...B/B+ (hope to bring up to an A- by the end of the year)
AP Bio: ...B/B+ 😱
Spanish III H: B/B+
AP Macro: A-
AP Lang: A-
Genetics H: A/A+

The 11th grade grades are projected...they're what I think I'm gonna get...but...I guess that's the worst case senario too (unless I drop to a C in some class, which I really hope doesn't happen)

Worst of all, I'm applying for a bio/biochem major, so IF I get a B in bio, I'm sorta screwed.

can someone pleease give me some feedback? I sorta want to keep my hopes up for UPenn or Columbia...AND med school

I doubt you will get into UPenn or Columbia for UG, you will get into a handful top 50 schools so just chill out. Have you done any volunteer work yet? That helps a lot.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Seriously, stop worrying about high school grades. You're doing well. There'll be classes in college you'll pray for a B+ in. Grades also have nothing whatsoever to do with which major you choose.

 

[panvard92]

thanks, most of these responses are helping me.

as for ec's....

uh, well

-I am volunteering at the hospital
-I have part-time job tutoring
-Science olympiad - gonna be pres next yr (i'm secretary now)
-Academic league - co-cap
-Math League - just in there for fun. teacher runs the whole thing
-I recently started Science Bowl at my school...so we'll see where that goes 😛

...I think that's it.

The thing is, I know professors at UPenn who I have worked with over the summer...so if I can convince them to write a recc....eh, idk.

 

[miiki21]

Like most of the above posters have already stated, if your goal is to go into med school, high school grades really don't matter so much - you just need to get into a decent 4-year undergrad. It really doesn't matter where you go as long as you do well - I'm at a decent (but certainly not Top 10 or even 30) university, and am doing much better than I'd ever imagined in the interview/application process.

On the other hand, a lot of premed college students eventually realize that medicine isn't right for them and opt for law/grad/business school, in which case the undergrad's prestige matters a lot more, so it's definitely good to try to get into a good university. On the whole however, if you're set on medicine, it's okay not to go to UPenn or Columbia. Seriously.

Relax. No matter where you go, you'll be fine!

 

[panvard92]

I'll believe you lol

btw...what are grades in med school used for? Residency? Or do they actually look at your med school before taking you as a resident?

just wondering....

 

[MilkmanAl]

As I understand it, residency programs mostly use your grades in your first two years to see how you compared academically with your peers. It seems like they're more of a tiebreaker than anything and aren't considered heavily in most cases. Your Step 1 scores and "grades" (evaluations) during your 3rd and 4th years are what matter.

 

[Local]

You got pretty good grades, but if you cant make an A in a class you can always drop down to the lower level. I was told by my college counselor that its better to have an A in honors then a B in AP. AP material might better help you prepare for college classes, but you can get just as much if you put the same effort in honor classes. Honors and AP both count as the same. They both are weighted, but most colleges care about unweighted, and that's where the B's will hurt you.

 

[alb565s]

Try not to worry too much about it...from the looks of it you will be a VERY competitive applicant!
I'm not entirely sure I agree with 'Local.' I mean A's and B's are both good grades (yes, a B in an unweighted class will hurt you more than a weighted one but it's probably nothing to stress over-- does your school weight harder classes?). I think as far as undergraduate college goes you shouldn't have any problem getting the college you want.

Biochem major huh? What are you thinking about as a career? MD/PhD? Biomedical engineering?

 

[panvard92]

well, I'm thinking of a neurologist...but I'd rather not be totally set into that. I mean, it's 5 years away, so I think I should focus on getting into college first. 😀

I'm stuck between a biochem or psyc...either way...I need to show that I'm at least decent in the sciences.
And yes, my school does weight classes....I'm pretty sure its +.67 for honors, and +1.00 for AP's...

btw, are there any advantages to those accelerated med programs, like those 7-year MD things....like I realize its a year, but a career in medicine is really long as it is, so will is actually have an advantage?

 

[xnfs93hy]

Like most of the above posters have already stated, if your goal is to go into med school, high school grades really don't matter so much - you just need to get into a decent 4-year undergrad. It really doesn't matter where you go as long as you do well - I'm at a decent (but certainly not Top 10 or even 30) university, and am doing much better than I'd ever imagined in the interview/application process.

On the other hand, a lot of premed college students eventually realize that medicine isn't right for them and opt for law/grad/business school, in which case the undergrad's prestige matters a lot more, so it's definitely good to try to get into a good university. On the whole however, if you're set on medicine, it's okay not to go to UPenn or Columbia. Seriously.

Relax. No matter where you go, you'll be fine!

I don't know what the exact percent is but A LOT of pre med students drop out after the first year or so. They basically weed out all the kids who can't handle the work. I also don't know if you have considered this, but there are these programs called BS/MD which guarantee you acceptance into a certain medical school if you have like a 3.5 GPA and a certain MCAT score or whatever. Takes several years total. You seem to have great marks for decent BS/MD programs but I would not recommend this unless you know medicine is where you want to be. I couldn't get into one anyway and will probably end up going to a midwest state school which is awesome and will help me get into a great medical school.

And as everyone else has said, chill out. I came on here with the idea that I was/had to go to Columbia/Cornell/Dartmouth to become a doctor and be successful, you DON'T. If you know people at Penn, awesome, apply there, you are at least somewhat qualified.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I don't know what the exact percent is but A LOT of pre med students drop out after the first year or so. They basically weed out all the kids who can't handle the work.

Just to clarify, most of these kids don't actually drop out of school. They just change majors or shift their focus away from med school.