so for kids who still don’t have final grades for the 1st semester, but have EA schools who might be making decisions this month, should they send 1st quarter grades? my daughter mentioned this to her guidance counselor, since the 1st semester still has a couple weeks to go, and he sort of shrugged it off and said she can upload the MP1 grades herself on the application portals. But most (maybe all) of the portals say only to upload materials if they were requested, so we don’t want to seem pushy or “extra.” I doubt these large public schools (UNC, Texas, Maryland) who might be looking at applications this month want to receive any more materials to review, but do they? the grades are good, obviously, and I assume it always looks better for the official grades to come from the school and not the applicant…
We had the same issue with timing of semester grades. D didn’t send anything that wasn’t requested.
if there are other applicants who have 1st semesters completed and sent in those grades, and they are good grades with rigorous courses, how can that not hurt my kid who is competing in the same applicant pool but only has grades from junior year?
If the school does not require Q1 grades, then they don’t require Q1 grades.
If a school reached out to an applicant for a Q1 update, then they are likely on the fence. If that same school didn’t reach out, then they are not on the fence.
If a school neither requires nor requests Q1 grades, then they don’t want or need. And most likely won’t be looked at. So the applicant sending unwanted stuff is simply in the “thicker the file, thicker the kid” cohort, IMO.
alright. makes sense. it just feels weird and unfair. if I am a college and I am comparing 2 similar kids, one has complete 1st semester grades and they are all A’s with a rigorous schedule, and the other has only junior year grades, which one am I taking?
The one who’s not thick.
Think about it. The application lists senior courses, so rigor is already known. The transcript has 3 years of grades through junior year; how much different is Q1 going to be? No AO is going to say, “Oooooh, the kid improved from 3.93 to 3.96. Admit!!!” Nor is the AO going to assume that the Q1 transcript not sent contains C’s.
Nobody ever said life was fair
I hear what you are saying but it’s very possible that these senior year courses for a lot of kids are the most rigorous ones they have taken- AP calc, physics…
For a lot of schools, ours included, there are not many AP options before senior year, so not a lot of opportunity to show that you can succeed in those tougher classes.
Schools like UMD who release in January do so expecting to make decisions without those grades. For Regular Decision, then yes, have the GC upload the semester grades.
FWIW, my D’s school was like your child’s in terms of limiting AP classes until the upper grades. That will be in the school report that went with the common app.
Do not send 1st semester grades unless asked or unless the school says we release decisions in march and feel free at your discretion.
If someone sends them in (your question about two side by side kids) - and they weren’t asked for they won’t be looked at.
Schools websites will detail what they use - for many (especially the early deciders), it’s grades 9-11 and that’s it.
For those that are asked for 1st semester grades, it’s because the school is likely on the fence about them - but they’ll be asked. That’s when you send it in. Or if you are deferred and they say you can send in.
UMD says this, so I woud send Q1 grades:
Mid-year reports and/or first quarter grades can be submitted, though they are not considered required application materials unless they are officially requested during the decision notification process.
I don’t think UT Austin accepts Q1 or S1 senior year grades, but don’t see that clearly stated on the website.
For UNC, my understanding is they will only ask if they want them, which they typically don’t. If deferred or admitted via EA, then they will want S1 grades.
I’ve had this same question and consideration. Really want to send his first semester grades showing he’s still pushing hard with his academics (all As in his 4 APs, honors Spanish IV and two other classes). As far as he can tell only one school is showing those as part of the ‘missing application’ (rechecking them all today). He really wants his selective colleges to know he is not in the senior coast mode, like most at our school who are taking bare minimum and checking out at Noon every day for ‘work study’ (which the academic kids joke means ‘work on my tan’). Also hoping it would help with the ‘showing interest’ because many of his top choice schools we haven’t been able to visit in person as they are just to far.
From the admissions PoV, that’s what you’re supposed to do.
right. SEMESTER. but not quarter, I guess.
but could it really hurt if the 1st quarter grades come from the school guidance counselor? can’t blame the kid for bloating the file, can they?
I’m not sure why you think being inconsiderate of peoples’ time is a sound strategy. If the college doesn’t want, they don’t want. If they don’t want, they won’t read. Don’t make busywork for the counselor.
Right, but how will a college KNOW that you are still working hard if they don’t get your first semester grades? I know Emory has asked for them (well shows them as missing) which is what sparked me to wonder if others would need them as well. Wasn’t sure if it was common knowledge to automatically send them for schools on a RD admissions plan.
I’m stepping out, because you’re hijacking the conversation with 1st semester grades, which is not the point of this thread. While you’re better off open a new thread to ask a new question, I will say 1st Semester grades are almost universally expected; 1st quarter grades are not.
Depends on the school. But they have your schedule as you submitted. No brownie points for doing things not requested. They are dealing with thousands. They don’t have time for one offs.
Some, like Emory, request and have a check box on the portal. Others don’t. That’s all you need to know.
sorry, didn’t mean to hijack anything. thought it was on topic.
I get that, but we are talking about looking at a few letter grades. it’s not a big time suck.
If I was a college I would want to see those grades before making decisions.
Anyway, we aren’t sending them unless asked to.
Can you provide your work email because I have a quick question? It won’t be a big time suck. Oh, but later, I’m going to share your email address with 30k of my friends, all of whom have a quick question for you. But it’s not a big time suck. 