will a D in high-school hurt my college chances? -- Virtually Advising Q+A

The Q: I'm at the top of my high-school class, getting A's in the hardest classes, but I got one D in band. Will this affect my chances of getting into top colleges?

The A: Unless you plan on going to a college specializing in music or the arts (and even then I wouldn't worry that much), the chances of this one D (in band class) affecting your chances of admittance into your top schools are extremely slim. Colleges will be more interested in the big issue: the SAT!

For many colleges, SAT scores are the determining factor in whether schools accept or reject prospective students. Schools that more carefully determine which students they want to enroll, however, will look closely at the applications they receive. In either case, one D among plenty of A's will not raise eyebrows -- it happens to the best of us.

You should be fine. I wouldn't worry as much about this one grade as I would about making sure your SAT scores are high and your academic record is consistent and polished -- and it sounds like you've already achieved the latter. Your A's, your overall GPA, your SAT scores and an otherwise strong application should help make it all the easier for your choice schools to decide in your favor.

—John Acquaviva, Guest Advisor (general)