do universities take C grades?

Question

my junior year is so tough. im not planning on getting a C in my language arts honors class but i dont know.... it may happen. my dad would get all mad if i did and he;ll say "universities dont accept C's!!! "

is this true??


ugh i want this year to be overrr!!!

i get A's and B's in my other classes its just this one that is so damn hard! in that class, mostly everyone has a C and there are still quite a few who are getting D's. i would imagine only the really smart kids have a high B or maybe even an A.

ahh such a hard class!

Answer 1

It depends on what you (or he) mean by "accept."

Possibility 1:
If you're taking this as an AP course for which you intend to get college credit, your grade in the course itself isn't really the issue. Your score on the AP test in that subject (sort of like a final exam) is what actually matters. For example, if you finished the course you're taking and then scored at least a 4 on the AP English Language and Composition Exam, you would receive 3 credit hours in English Composition 1 at the university where I teach. In other words, you would get credit for a whole college-level course without ever taking it in college. In this scenario, getting a C (or a B or an A) in the AP prep course in high school wouldn't matter one iota.

Possibility 2:
He just means that, in general, C's on your high school transcript won't help you get into a good university. This is generally true, but one C does not an entire transcript make (or rather, break). The admissions boards at the schools where you apply won't be /impressed/ by a C, but on the other hand, it doesn't mean they'll automatically write you off as a slacker, or treat it as if you had never taken the course. Just keep in mind that the "better" (more elite) schools tend to be pickier, so the more C's (and even B's) you get, the less your chances of being admitted to them.

When your dad says what he says to you about C's, he may be expressing it in stronger terms than what I've described above just to put the fear into you. Dads will occasionally do that to daughters whom they "know" are capable of doing better.

I hope this clears it all up for you. :)

P.S. I remember my junior year being the hardest year of high school, too. Hang in there, kiddo; if I made it, anybody can.

P.P.S. I posted several more websites in a comment under your engineering question.

Answer 2

This is a rather loaded question because it can cause debate, especially in families that want the best for their children. Universities take all of your grades into consideration when deciding to admit you. Having a C in an honors class is better than having one in a regular class. C's can lower your GPA because they only receive 2 out of 4 possible grade points, but this is not as bad as a D, which only gets 1 grade point or an F with 0. Universities that having competitive admissions policies prefer the 3.0 or B students over C students, but this is not the only criteria used and one C is not the end of the world.

Answer 3

Yeah, they do take C grades, but some of the most competitive colleges don't take them. It all depends on what you want to study and where you want to go to college at. Also, if you are getting accepted to college early then there might be some stricter requirements like getting certain grades in certain classes, or no grade below a C or a D in ANY class, but like i said, it depends on the college you are going to and also the high school you are coming out of. If the high school is known for having hard classes and students with good grades, then it might be a little harder to get accepted to some colleges with a C or a D. One C will not kill you, but i would not get all C's or D's and let that become your average. Good Luck! Junior year sucks anyway....you are an upperclassman, not quite a top senior, and not a loser freshman, but not the secure sophomore anymore. All the ACT's, SAT's, PSAT's, and in my high shcool, the dreaded Junior research paper, yuck!

Answer 4

Most universities will accept a student with a C or two. (If you have a C *average*, then you may be in trouble, but that's a different story.) Ivy League schools may be put off, but even top-tier schools like Northwestern and Tufts will at least consider you even with a C. And for state schools, it's often not a big deal at all.

The bigger question is, how's your overall GPA? Mostly B's, or mostly A's? If you have a B or B+ average, you will have many excellent options for colleges, but you won't be able to get into the most selective schools. If you have an A- average, you will be in good shape for most of the colleges in the country, assuming that you also have good SATs and extracurriculars.

There's a great website that gives you all kinds of very specific information about questions like this: www.collegeconfidential.com. It's sort of like yahoo! answers, but only for college-related questions. Check it out.

Answer 5

Hmm, well, it's an honor's class, so they are weighted differently. Getting an A in an honor's class is awesome! Getting a B is kind of like getting an A, and a C is kind of like getting a B. They might accept it knowing the fact it was a honor's class, let alone you taking an honor's class. So I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make sure you try your best!

Answer 6

Universities and colleges alike accept "C"s if they are accredited as a public college and are governed by the State Department of Education. However, private/parochial universities such as Christian universities may opt out of giving credit for a "C" and may force you to take it again, though, this should be outlined in their academic policies as required by law. A public university must accept a "C" as passing, and a private university should as well, though, if you are planning on transferring to another institution, you would have to check with that institution's transferrability credit acceptance. Harding University, an ivy league university here in my town, accepts "C" grades and they are a Christian institution as well. So, basically, your answer is, yes, a "C" is passing and is hardly scrutinized by any higher ed. facility.

Answer 7

A C in an honors class is looked on like a B in a regular class

Answer 8

A "C" is generally the minimum accepted grade in a core class. In general eds a D is accepted sometimes. But if you plan to transfer it may not (the D).

Answer 9

If you are talking about an advanced placement course where youare getting college credit while still in high school, I believe that your father is correct. Colleges don't take Cs. Some colleges are even tougher than that.

Answer 10

a C is still a passing grade in College & High school.
It think it's the D that goes to failing in College.
Ds are passing in high school but not in college.
Ds and Es are the failing grades to colleges or universities.

I would still strive for a B or an A