Should I risk GPA to enter my school's business school?

This is the brief backstory: I am thinking of applying to enter Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. Calculus is a prerequisite to enter Notre Dame's business school, but I have a C in the class, with one more exam and final left. I have A's and A-'s and one B+ in my other courses.

I have two options: Playing it safe: Drop Calculus and be certain that I have at least a 3.6 GPA first semester, but not be able to enter Mendoza.

Risk it: Keep Calculus and hope that I do well on the next exam and final to get at least a B in the class, and have a shot at being accepted into Mendoza. But, I could end up doing poorly on the next two exams and totally ruin my GPA, along with not getting into Mendoza because of that.

*Economics major could be an option, where I could drop Calculus and take it another semester, but it is very math-intensive, so I do not think I would perform as well as an Econ major. * Last day for course drop is before the next Calculus exam is.

4 Comments
 

I go to office hours and private tutoring every week and did that leading up to the second exam, but the actual exam was nothing like the review exam. But, I will keep Calculus and keep studying my ass off. But, if I do end up doing poorly on one (or even both) of the exams, my grade will be extremely bad, which also means no Mendoza most likely.

I am a freshman at ND but I have lined up job shadows at a couple bulge bracket firms in the city in the summer, and could potentially get an internship. Do you think my work experience, networking, and good connections that I have already established at those firms, just as a freshman, give me a LITTLE leeway GPA-wise in the future

 
Best Response

Try looking online for other Calc-related materials, its probably the most common math class taken in college (assuming its Calc 1), there is a ton of info out there and although your professor may focus more on certain topics you can find information that is applicable, Khan Academy would likely have good videos for many concepts.

To be blunt, as a freshman there is close to no chance you'll be getting a BB offer unless maybe you qualify for a diversity program and have incredible connections, but even then its still unlikely. I'm not totally sure of your previous work experience but if it was before college its likely pretty irrelevant because people will know you weren't qualified to do all that much. If you have above a 3.5 you'll probably qualify for all the resume drops and from there its up to you to network and get yourself an interview, but just know the kids with the 4.0s are going to be doing the same exact thing so try to get it as high as you can.

Good luck, not trying to come off harsh but just want to give you a realistic perspective.

 

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