bad grade impact -teacher more harsh than AP examAnswered
Hi, my child would have a 4.0 if it weren't for one very harsh grader. Teacher had about 60 Calc BC students last year. All except one got a 5 on the AP exam, one kid got a 4. (teacher disclosed, also said that they were high 5's.) My student thinks the teacher gave out maybe 3 A's out of about 60 kids. Teacher expected kids to self study quite a lot, these kids showed up, did their homework, worked hard, and then got brutalized on class tests. My kid actually got a B, and a 5 on AP, they were near perfect on the AP multiple choice section in practice. Some other talented kids got C's and D's. I think all these kids should have gotten much better letter grades.
Sadly, many kids aren't taking Calc at all because of this teacher. My feeling is that AP classes should have uniform grading from teachers across the country. If the kids work hard and score high 5's, they probably deserve an A. (Assuming model classroom students, which these kids are.) The whole value of AP to me is leveling the playing field and making the high school system more fair.
My kid has 5 5's end of Junior year, 1560 SAT, normally all A's. But GPA for junior year is not ideal. He has the same teacher for multivariable this year, same grading pattern so far. Clearly, blaming the teacher won't be helpful during college application process.
Is this a battle worth fighting with the school admin for a grade adjustment? (Especially since it is affecting many strong students, not just my kid?) Will it impact admissions to top engineering programs?
My kid is telling me to move on, but this feels very unjust for the students....
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1 answer
This is definitely a very frustrating situation. It seems unfair to me, too. Of course, I am not an expert, but here are my thoughts.
1) There is an Additional Information section on the Common Application. If all else fails, your child can write a polite, concise note explaining the situation and the B(s). Stick to the facts and remain positive. Yes, this is an unfair situation, but colleges appreciate a mature student who explains a situation for what it was without getting dramatic or whiny.
2) I think you should talk to the school admin. However, my encouragement is to walk into it with a different mindset than "a battle worth fighting" as you put it. You want to handle it calmly. Just as colleges listen to and respect polite students, the school is more likely to listen to and respect the voice of a polite parent. Otherwise, it can easily seem like a parent favoring their child, but I can tell this is not the case for you. Share what your child shared with you. If there are other parents or students of this teacher that have expressed the same feelings, maybe you should go in together and politely ask if there's anything that can be done about this situation.
If they cannot -or will not-do anything, it is probably best to move on and not put up a fuss. Then the Additional Information explanation is your child's fallback. Of course, if your child has this happen again with this teacher (gets a 5 on AP and a low grade), I would go back and ask once again if something can be done about it.
It is unjust, but it may or may not be fixable, so stay calm, give it a try, and if it backfires, politely move on.
As far as if this will impact admissions to top engineering programs, it depends on the school. A few B's are normally okay, but I don't know what schools your child is aiming for. Make sure your child submits the AP score for these classes. Also, encourage your child to apply to a variety of schools as far as competition goes. This way, they have options if the most competitive ones do not accept them. Applying to a variety of schools is important in any situation, so don't panic if I make it sound like your child won't get in. The truth is, we don't know, so it's best to be ready with other options!
Also, if your child is set on attending a specific highly competitive school and they don't get in, they can always try transferring there after starting at another school. Many students panic when they don't get into their dream school and forget that transferring is an option. Other times, they end up loving where they are!
Hope this is helpful and let me know if you have any questions!
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Thanks very much for your thoughtful reply. I think asking the school to reexamine last year's grade is a big ask, and I've already sent a few polite emails. So, I do think it's a confrontation at this point. I might have to escalate to the superintendent, and we are counting on counselor and teacher recs and support. Feels very risky. Any suggestions for wording on the common app?