I took Algebra 1 last year (9th)...it took some getting used to, and I had to take summer school to make-up for a bad mishap during my second semester (failing final exam due to waiting until the last minute, and having taken 2 finals that same day
Which earned me a D...ouch, I know)
But...funny enough, I ended up completely turning my grade around during SS, from a D into an A. I know the old D will still be at the very bottom of my application, but I hope that colleges will just see the SS A as my final math grade; that'll suck if they nit-pick that much, and throw that old D at me.
Either way, because I understand Math better this year, I have been able to finish off my 1st semester with an 88.34% B+ in my Geometry this year - mind you math is my worst subject. I've been getting better as the year has gone along, so yay! I also have A's in all my other courses
University of California - San Diego here I come! It is known as one of the best engineering universities in the US (Structural engineering is what I will be going for).