<p>OK so this has been a major problem for me BUT I seem to be making my way through it...now i'm opening the discussion for anyone who may be able to offer guidance..</p>
<p>Early on in my senior year, I was offered a job that provided an enormous teenage income ($400 -$1,000/wk) and I took it, thinking of all the money I could make...then ended up working until 2AM when I had to be up by 7, not to mention AP Homework. Although I was admitted to Williams early decision, my grades went on a landslide...without going too much in detail, let's just say these were the first 2 quarters I've been off the honor roll since 9th grade.</p>
<p>Now, williams wants to see my mid-year grades. Ouch. ouch, ouch, ouch. So, I called and told them. Although they weren't mad, my admisssions officer told me that she would forward my grades to Dick Nesbitt (dunh dunh dunh). So I started talking to my guidance officers, and they inserted my Progress report grades into the sealed 12th grade transcript. My PR grades are straight A, but at this point, i feel like i'm stuck out in the ocean in a capsizing boat...</p>
<p>At this point, i'm just wondering if there is/are any additional thing(s) I can do to improve my circumstances. I'm a good student, in a bad situation.</p>
<p>Clearly, you got in over your head with the job and should quit it or scale it way back if you haven't already. You've done the right things by talking with your guidance counselors and being honest and preemptive with Williams, rather than waiting for them to discover the problem and come after you.</p>
<p>Beyond that, I don't know what to say because I'm not sure I understand exactly what's happening. Your school's grading system may be different from the ones with which I am familiar.</p>
<p>Apparently, you have had two low quarters. Weren't your first quarter grades submitted to Williams before they made their decisions ED? I would have thought that Williams had already seen those first-quarter grades, so I'm not sure why they are suddenly an issue.</p>
<p>I also don't understand what you mean about inserting your quarter grades into your sealed transcript that has all A's.</p>
<p>Do you have semester grades yet? Did you have semester exams? Is there a chance that the first and second quarter grades don't reflect your semester grades? Are the grades for one-semester courses or for courses that continue second semester? What do your teachers say?</p>
<p>^I think the OP means that his Progress Report (which colleges normally don't ask to see) was added to his transcript, to show that, although he may have been slacking in the past, at the current moment his grades are fine. Perhaps schools you're familiar with don't do Progress Reports, but mine does, and it's simply like a mid-quarter report card.</p>
<p>But I also don't understand how Williams hasn't seen your first quarter grades yet. I, too, thought those were required in ED. My best guess is : if Williams DID see the first quarter grades, accepted you, and your second quarter grades are about the same, you should be fine. Otherwise, I don't really know enough to say.</p>
<p>Thanks for explaining that. You are right that I wasn't familar with progress reports (although I do know about mid-quarter warnings).</p>
<p>Seems to me that having okay PR grades now (for the first part of the third quarter) doesn't take away the problems with the first semester grades, especially if any of the courses were one-semester courses in which the grade now can't be brought up because the course has ended. However, like you, I would think that, if Williams saw his first quarter grades and admitted him anyway and the second quarter grades were similar, he should be okay as long as he keeps his grades up from here on out. </p>
<p>Two problems: maybe his second quarter grades were a lot worse than the first quarter grades that they saw before admitting him or maybe they somehow didn't see any grades from this year before they admitted him.</p>
<p>Maybe he'll post again and let us know what Williams had in the way of grades when they read his admission folder.</p>
<p>
[quote]
At this point, i'm just wondering if there is/are any additional thing(s) I can do to improve my circumstances. I'm a good student, in a bad situation.</p>
<p>Any Ideas?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You should have the time and the opportunity to recover. I doubt that Williams would rescind at this point in the process but it might at the end of the year (after your final grades for the year are in). Dump the job (the extra money is nice but, looking at the long term, it is not worth it) and clean up the grades - you should be alright . .</p>
<p>Just off the topic....what's the honor roll? (I'm an international student and certainly unfamiliar with US education system:D) Does being off the honor roll hurt that much?</p>
<p>sorry, perhaps I should explain a bit more...
When I was accepted, williams had only my grades through my 11th grade year. I never heard that I was supposed to send in first quarter grades, and they never said or mailed me anything about it. I received a letter of acceptance Dec. 16th, and mailed in my deposit.</p>
<p>Progress reports, like kev stated, are mid-quarter report cards, and so far, i'm reporting 5 A's and 1 B (i think), which is on point with my grades before they slid. Truly, I never knew that students were required to send in first quarter report card grades.</p>
<p>I called my admissions officer, and to my surprise, she was not angry; perhaps she was even jocular. But, she told me she would forward the grades to Dick Nesbitt, which surely isn't good. Hopefully, my PR grades will show that the slide was temporary, and passing.</p>
<p>And yes, I've since quit the job, as of 12/30/06..kinda broke though:)</p>
<p>If someone was willing to pay you $1,000 per week before graduating from high school - that's impressive. I don't think you need to apologize for not getting A's. You gained "real world" experience - and must be pretty extraordinary to pull down that $$$.</p>