Too late to address potential red flags?

[SeventhCircle]

Hi everyone. Like a lot of you, I'm currently waiting to hear news from the schools I applied to. There's one thing that has been nagging me for a while but I've never been sure how to handle it, and am wondering if I've missed my opportunity to address a potential red flag in my application with my POI.

Unfortunately my stats grade in my 2nd year wasn't too great and it doesn't look too good because the course descriptor says "Introduction to Research Statistics". However I feel like the transcript isn't an accurate reflection of my ability in that area, especially since I did well in another third year course that covers more advanced topics on statistics and methodology. The issue is that the third year course is more ambiguously described as "Advanced Experimental Psychology", and in hindsight I should have made this clarification in my statement of purpose. But at the time I really didn't want to focus on any negatives or feel like I was making excuses, so I ended up leaving it out. Moreover my quant GRE score was a 160, so I feel that that also attests to the fact that I don't completely suck at math, and the admissions committee is only looking at the final two years of study (although the POI said that he was interested in the entire transcript).

I'm not sure whether I should bring this up with my POI for this school at this point. I've already had an informal meeting with him, and it went very well. I'm really hoping to get into this school and work with this professor, and I'm very scared that this might hurt my chances since it's a fairly competitive school to get into.

Edited December 22, 2015 by SeventhCircle

[FoShizzle]

I'm in a similar boat, but with my entire first year and last semester in undergrad. My inclination is to wait it out rather than call attention to a negative. As you stated, the POI accounts for the whole transcript. That should deemphasize a single grade rather than magnify it. Stay strong  

[Timemachines]

I think that we notice these details in our qualifications etc and pick apart at them because after all, this is an incredibly uncompetitive process..however, if there was (for whatever reason) a chance that he doesn't extend an invitation to you, I really doubt its over one grade in your second year of school, you know? Plus, I would stay positive! You already had an informal meeting that went well and other things in your application to balance out a questionable grade. It sounds like you're in a good place. 

[lewin]

Don't bring it up. If they ask, which I highly doubt will happen, say: "That was my first stats course and I was still getting my feet wet, but if you look further down, Advanced Experimental Psychology was actually the follow-up stats course that included topics factorial ANOVA [or whatever is the most advanced/relevant technique] and as you can see I mastered the more advanced material."