I got a C in a college class in high school. Will that stop me from getting into ivy league colleges?

It depends to a certain extent on what the rest of your application is like. No one can tell you for sure that you won't be able to get into an ivy just because of that one class or that you would have been able to get in without that class.

Ivy's do tend to expect great grades across the board as well as rigorous classes. You might be able to make up for it with enough other great grades in rigorous classes and amazing extracurriculars.

Also, keep in mind that there are plenty of great schools that are not Ivys. I'm not saying you should not do your best to get in, but try not to get your hopes up too much.

Hope this helps!

Hi, thank you for asking your question! I agree with @Tana's answer because they recognize the importance of the larger profile. Just one bad grade in an advanced level course is not going to ruin your chances at an Ivy League. However, consistently underperforming in advanced classes in your area-of-interest classes will penalize you in the applications process.

I am also reading some comments regarding GPA in the comments so I can address this as well. For many Ivy leagues and selective universities, we recommend having at least a 3.75+ unweighted to be a competitive applicant. This means at least a 3.7 in AP/IB HL, 3.85 in Honors/IB SL, and 4.0 in College Prep level classes.