Admissions considering upward grade trends?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I know this might be considered cross-posting (I also put this in the "What are my chances?" board), but I feel like I can get pretty good advice if I posted in both boards, since there might be people who read the chances board not the admissions board, and vice versa.</p>

<p>I'm wondering how my chances can be affected by a very high upward grade trend. I'm not talking about getting two B's freshman year and then straight A's afterward, but a really drastic one. I'm currently a high school junior.</p>

<p>Let's say my semester weighted GPA rose steadily from a 3.0 to, say, a 4.05 within five semesters. My grades in the first three semesters definitely needed improving (I got a D in each semester :-/). Making the transition to high school was difficult for me, but I anticipate doing even better next semester, possibly even a 4.3, and I've been working hard to improve every term. I haven't taken the SAT's yet, but my practice scores have been around 2000-2100.</p>

<p>I would really like to go to USC, NYU, Georgetown, or UCLA. Do I still stand a reasonable chance at these places, given my situation and grade trend? You can probably figure that my class rank isn't very good, from my first couple of semesters in high school. But I'm hoping that they take things like upward progressions into consideration, and that not all the schools I'm thinking about applying to are just numbers hogs. Maybe I can mention this in an essay or optional essay?</p>

<p>All input is helpful, but it would be especially great if people who were in my shoes this time last year, or who are currently applying, can give their feedback.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

2

<p>Unfortunately, at the elite schools upward trends aren't too useful. Georgetown might be unrealistic, especially if you're expecting a 2000-2100 SAT. The other schools, while they might be reaches, I think are definitely attainable.</p>

3

<p>Thanks. Anyone else?</p>

4

<p>Like I always say, people hype the "upward trend" too much around here. If we are talking about the top 20 universities or so, having an upward trend doesn't really help you at all, and your overall GPA is much, much more important. Even if you are in-state, I see USC and UCLA as big big reaches for you simply because you have Ds on your transcript. Georgetown is, of course, even tougher to get into, and NYU probably isn't as selective as USC/UCLA so maybe you have a chance there. Best of luck.</p>

5

<p>The UC's do not consider freshman year so you are fine for UCLA.</p>

<p>I got into USC with <3.0 freshman year of high school. They understand that some kids can have difficulty transitioning to high school and the weight placed on freshman year is minimal compared to your Junior and Sophomore years.</p>

<p>Your biggest barrier to Georgetown might just be your SAT score, not your GPA.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>