C on Mid-Year Report

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi.</p>

<p>My son is applying to several colleges, including Harvard, Stanford and Princeton.</p>

<p>We just received his progress report and he has a D in one of his AP classes. It is too late to drop the class. Hopefully, he can raise it to a C by the end of the semester. His grades previous to this has been mostly As with just a few Bs. His SAT score is good (2200?).</p>

<p>I know that colleges will check his mid-year grades. Is a C on his report card going to cause any problems? He might receive a B in another class, too. </p>

<p>The Guidance Counselor said that colleges can revoke admission decisions if grade on the mid-year report aren't up to their standards. Any idea how strict that standard is?</p>

<p>Thank you for any insight you can give.</p>

2

<p>Applying to early action or early decision schools would prevent your senior grades from being a factor in admissions decision process but if you are accepted, and your grades on the mid year report are not consistent with your previous grades, they can, although very rare, revoke their acceptance.</p>

<p>For regular decision, first semester senior grades will be a factor in the admissions decision. Second semester senior grades are the ones that can get your admissions decision revoke. That being said, it is far "better" to have bad grades second semester than the first semester because colleges will not revoke admissions for getting a C or two but will be more inclined to decline admissions acceptance to students who have C's as part of their first semester senior grades.</p>

1 Like
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<p>C's and D's on the mid year report will hurt your student if he is applying th HYP and pretty most any other selective school. If son is applying ED or SCEA, it is very likely that GC will be sending the grades from the first marking period along with the transcript of the first 3 years (so at least s/he is giving you a heads up that the school will be seeing these grades). </p>

<p>I would suggest that son not apply SCEA/ED to any of these schools and wait until RD that way he gets to improve his grades as sending the application with his current grades would most likely lead to a rejection.</p>

<p>This information will be used to evaluate your son. IF deferred, the school will ask for the midyear report to see how they are doing at the halfway point of the year.</p>

<p>LIke TAWS stated, if your son is applying RD, a mid year report is definitely going to be sent to the schools and he is going to be evaluated on his upward trend.</p>

<p>Every admission wis contigent on the sucess completion of high school and pretty much maintaining the academic standards by which you were admitted. A minor slide will get you a wink, but a major slide will get your admission rescinded or have you start out your college career on probation with limitation as to the types or number of courses which he can be enrolled.</p>

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<p>Last year, we had a kid get into yale in early. He had basically all A's save for a few a-'s. GPA of like 4.4. Afterwards, he got 2 c's, first semester and 1 the second. he is still in Yale right now. </p>

<p>Some schools do not look at first quarter grades for early. am I correct?</p>

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<p>It is very hard to get into Harvard, Stanford and Princeton with anything less then As. C or D in AP class will hurt him.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Some schools do not look at first quarter grades for early. am I correct?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Depends, if they are on the fence about the student it is not unusual for the school to request the grades for the first marking period senior year.</p>

7

<p>Chances at HPS are pretty slim with those grades and a 2200. He needs more realistic schools.</p>

8

<p>My counselor told me that no school has ever asked for mid-semester grades. As has been said, if accepted EA/ED one C shouldn't matter, but I think it might make HPS impossible regular deicision.</p>

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<p>Do they really ask for mid-semester grades sometimes? Because I've gotten straight As but first grading period this year I got two Bs. I hope I can raise them both to As by the end of the semester, and I'm fairly confident I can. Isn't it a little unfair to ask for grades from the first 6 weeks of school, especially from AP classes when students are still getting used to the course?</p>

10

<p>Sorry, but stambliark's counselor is wrong. </p>

<p>Some schools do ask for mid-semester grades when applying early. They're seperate from the mid-year report and are usually called "first quarter" grades. For schools where grades are calculated continuously throughout the grading period, counselors may submit the most recent grades. I was just on Brown's website - they require the grades by November 15th. </p>

<p>I agree that it can be harsh because many teachers tend to be tougher graders early in the year. I would hope that admission's officers would weigh mid-semester grades accordingly.</p>

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<p>how about stanford? that's the only school i'm applying early to.</p>

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<p>woot! only after first semester or trimester, not quarter (with emphasis)!</p>

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<p>
[quote]
FORM 3, SECONDARY SCHOOL REPORT,
AND 3A, MID-YEAR SCHOOL REPORT
Give Forms 3 and 3A to your current school counselor to complete.
Form 3A should not be sent to Stanford until after first
semester/trimester grades of your senior year are available. Be certain
to provide your counselor with a stamped envelope with the appropriate
Stanford mailing label.
If you will graduate from a school other than the one you attended
last year (grade 11 in most cases), submit Form 3 from your current
school and also make a copy of Form 3 and ask your former school
counselor or principal to complete it. You should also request that an
official transcript be sent from each school you have attended during
high school. If you attended a different school from your current
school in 9th and/or 10th grade, you do not need to submit another
Form 3 from the earlier school. You must, however, still submit official
transcript(s) from the other school(s).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Just because it does nbot explicity say quarter grades, your GC will send grades according to your school's marking period (so if you are on a quarter system, those grades will most likely be submitted). IF grades are not available , if the school needs additional information to make a decision about you, you will most likely be deferred to the RD pool.</p>

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<p>I have a similar problem, only worse. I'd appreciate if someone could comment.</p>

<p>My GPA 9-11th is a 3.53 (A-) UW. However, my first quarter grades will be abismal. </p>

<p>In my 5 AP/Honors classes, i will probably get : A,B,B,C,D
That makes for a 2.6 (B-) quarter, a full letter grade drop. </p>

<p>Now, my counselor says that adcoms care much more about senior course selection than senior course results, and that they won't place much emphasis on the midyear report. However, i'm not at all comforted.</p>

<p>I'm applying to several competitive schools (Cornell, Hopkins, Northwestern) and my stats (740 math, 700 reading 740 writing, 760 mathIIC, 720 US history, 700 chemistry, 3.53 uw gpa, 93rd percentile in school rank) are borderline for [RD] acceptance. I'm afraid my mid-year report could be the make or break. </p>

<p>If you were an admissions officer for cornell, and you saw the stats i just listed, would the mid-year report (A,B,B,C,D) be enough reason for you to reject me, or would you let it slide?</p>

<p>Also, suppose second quarter i improved to A,A,A,B,C (a 3.4 second quarter, averaging to a 3.0 mid-year report), what would you think then?</p>

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<p>FlyinV</p>

<p>I don't know, but I think the D will hurt you. Some colleges won't accept Ds and you have to retake the class.</p>

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<p>FlyinV,</p>

<p>please make sure that you have a balanced list including match and safety schools. The schools that you have chosen are reaches regardless of your grades and scores. Since you state that your first quarter grades leave a lot to be desired, ED would probably not be in your best interest. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Now, my counselor says that adcoms care much more about senior course selection than senior course results, and that they won't place much emphasis on the midyear report.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>She is wrong because both matter, selective schools look for you to take the most rigerous courses your school offers and to do well in those courses. The mid year report is extremely important because it is an indication to whether or not you are still on an upward trend (or if you are already there, maintianing). In addition your acceptance is based on the condition that you maintand the same level of performance as when you were admitted, so major slides (senioritis) can be cause for your admissions or merit money to be rescinded.</p>

<p>You seem to be on track with the realization that you need to improve and I hope that all goes well.</p>

17

<p>Match: Carnegie Mellon (LAC)
Safety: Boston University, University of Maryland-College Park</p>

<p>People have said neither of those are "true" safeties, but at the same time i think there's almost no chance of me getting rejected from all 6. I hope i'm not wrong.</p>

18

<p>FlyinV</p>

<p>I am not familar with your schools, but you really need to apply to a "true" safety. Andi has a post (I think in the Parent section) how every single college rejected or waitlisted her son last year, and he had very good stats.</p>

<p>I hope another person will chime in with better info, but please, make sure you have a couple of "true" safeties on your list. You don't want to be disapointed in April.</p>

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<p>Are you instate for U of Maryland? If so, that will help. I agree that you need to try to bring those senior grades up to the best of your ability. One thing we have been told that Adcoms DO look at is the trend in your grades. They are looking to see that you have either an upward trend, or that you maintain excellent marks if that is your current situation. They are not looking for downward trends in GPA.</p>

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<p>Link aabout andi and her son</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=96791%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=96791&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>IMHO, your true safety would most likely be rolling admission, at you local state university. A true safety is on that if you are accepted you would be happy to attend and is a financially feasible option for your family.</p>