<p>So when a college admissions officer sits down to make a decision on an applicant, are they looking at the applicant's transcript as of end of junior year, or are they looking at the halfway through senior year (ie end of 1st semester) transcript? I ask this because my colleges probably won't get my 1st semester transcript until maybe mid-february because our semester ends a little late. Also because my unweighted gpa (and subsequently class rank) may drop a bit because I'm taking harder classes (weighted will probably be bout the same).</p>
<p>Colleges with later decisions will consider both. Colleges for early or rolling decisions usually just look at junior year transcript (as well as senior year course load). For rolling decisions, pretty sure it just comes down to when they review your application. I applied to schools on CommonApp that request the mid-year report, but have been accepted before the semester ended.</p>
<p>Where did you apply? And if they’re looking at both at the same time, would a slight drop senior year have adverse effects?</p>
<p>Bump…</p>
<p>Double bump</p>
<p>A slight senior year drop won’t matter, as long as it’s slight, and you are taking tough courses. Rank is more important than GPA. If your rank drops significantly, yes, it could have adverse affects. But your application will be viewed holistically.</p>