<p>Hello all, my DD is applying to schools now. She made great progress over her 1st 3 years of HS. Freshman year her GPA was about a 2.9. Soph year was better, but she struggled with math and barely passed, ending up with about a 3.05 GPA. Junior year she really did well - we are so proud of her - and her GPA was about a 3.95! However, her overall GPA is about 3.25. These are weighted numbers. She is applying to competitive schools - schools that would have been targets and safeties if she had a 3.95 all 3 years, but which are more like reaches and targets when considering her overall GPA. By the way, she goes to a small and very competitive hs where a 3.25 weighted GPA ranks her in the bottom half of the class! (60th percentile.) Several of her schools take 5% or less of applicants that rank in the bottom half of the class, but her guidance counselor assures us that (1) her progress over the 3 years will be meaningful to admissions offices, and (2) because they are aware of the nature of our hs, the bottom half of the class issue is not significant.</p>
<p>This was a long-winded intro to my question - should she call attention to and discuss her progress in that extra common app section for raising issues we think schools should know about? She doesn't want to - she says her guidance counselor is doing that in her recommendation, and she's afraid she can't write anything that will sound positive and genuine. My concern is that her schools, esp. the bigger ones, will not take the time to look at her transcript as a whole and will only consider the overall gpa and class rank. So which way do we go on this?</p>
<p>Thanks for listening! All opinions welcome.</p>
<p>If it is just on the transcript, the adcom may sometimes overlook it. One suggestion I read from a book is to ask the graduate counselor to emphasize that in his/her recommendation. You may mention that in the additional information but I think the GC LOR should be the right place to address this.</p>
<p>Your daughter is correct - the guidance counselor will call attention to the improvement and speak of increased effort or whatever lead to it.</p>
<p>The admissions people will look at the transcript first when receiving the application, and will see the upward trend. </p>
<p>I hope that your daughter is also applying to schools that she can get into with her current GPA. Competitive schools are hard enough to get into for students with stellar GPA’s throughout high school - make sure she applies somewhere that is sure to accept her, like your better state schools.</p>
<p>And many schools look at the unweighted GPA…</p>
<p>I also agree with your D. Her GC is addressing the subject, her transcript shows the trend, and the HS profile will tell colleges about the competitiveness of her school. </p>
<p>IMO, the use of the Additional Info section to explain grades is for special cases such as illness, family issues, etc. Many students show academic improvement over the course of HS, that alone is not reason to discuss it, even for more numbers driven schools.</p>
<p>Thanks all for your reassurance that the guidance counselor’s letter is the right place to address this! I feel better now if my DD doesn’t write about it. KKmama, she is applying to a couple of schools that are in the safety category for her. She’s just not particularly excited about them, so I hope she can get in to a school that does excite her.</p>
<p>Even it is just a safety school for backup plan, make sure your DD is willing to go there if that ever happens. Otherwise, it is not really a safety. Try to find at least a couple things she like about that school although it is not the greatest.</p>
<p>I fully agree with getting a safety lined up that your D can get into, she is happy to attend, and that you can afford. Anything else is goodness. If your HS has Naviance look at that to address her chances at the schools on her list.</p>