<p>So I’m planning on appealing to UCSB and UCB, and while I am bringing to light new info such as family issues, one of the main points I’m trying to show is my academic improvement/upward trend. I have gotten all A’s this year (on block schedule) except for 4 classes. I got a B+ in AP Calc AB, a C+ in second half of AB, and just found out I got a C+ in BC (really disappointed, had an 86% going into the final and bombed it, dropped 8%). I also got a B in AP Euro but this was really tough to get an A in (only 1 A in whole class). Are the two C’s gonna hurt my appeal pretty bad? The rest of my senior year course load has been pretty tough, and I’m hoping this wont kill me. Plus, math has always been my worst subject, maybe I should try to throw this in the appeal, like how I’ve always struggled in it but tried to take challenging math courses?</p>
<p>I would totally ignore the question of senior grades in that appeal, focusing only on what was not fully visible in the original application, therefore it was not properly considered. Your senior grades make exactly the wrong case for you.</p>
<p>It says specifically on several of the UC appeal guidelines that improved senior grades are not considered in the appeal. They want to know stuff like personal situations that hindered your academic performance, or “new and compelling information” which would include things like volunteer and community service achievements or any errors on your application.</p>
<p>don’t even bother mentioning your grades for senior year.</p>
<p>the only grades that should be mentioned are if anything has been changed (e.g. from a “C” to an “A” in a class you’ve taken sophomore/junior year)</p>
<p>you’re sending in an official or unofficial transcript with the appeal letter that includes your current grades for senior year anyway.</p>
<p>just focus on the IDEA of the academic improvement, not the specifics like “I’m now getting a 3.5 unweighted gpa” or that kinda stuff.</p>
<p>really, the things that matter more, in my opinion, in an appeal letter are hardships.
for me, i’m putting in two hardships</p>
<p>Yeah, the UC’s specifically say not to use senior grades or senior extracurricular’s as part of your appeal, but you can definitely mention the idea of academic improvement. I mentioned it too in my original app and how I was doing much better now due to my personal circumstances. It would actually be a good idea to focus on this upward trend, but don’t get specific and that better not be the only new information you have for them.</p>