So do UMichigan, UIUC, Purdue, Cornell, and similar colleges consider your first term senior year grades? I’m not talking about the final transcript that we send in when we get accepted, just the one where we send to colleges so they can decide whether we get in or not.
First semester senior year grades are not used to determine admission and UIUC does use them even if you provide them after being wait listed in February or when appealing a February rejection decision. If you submit senior year grades, those who make the admission decisions do not get them.
There are actually a large number of colleges, particularly among public universities, that do not use senior year grades to determine admission. They use them when submitted in June to decide whether an admission given should be rescinded.
@drusba Do you know if UMaryland, Umichigan, NYU POLY, Purdue, or any other major engineering school use senior year grades?
If you get deferred then yes they do, they’ll request that you send them in
@rjp What about regular admission?
RD for Cornell and similar top private schools definitely use senior fall grades.
OP: From the perspective of the colleges, they have everything to gain using 1st semester Senior grades – they are highly predictive. So it’s important for you to do well and to choose strong classes.
My impression is if you are not ED or EA, but instead the decision on your acceptance isn’t made (or at least revealed) until around the end of March, then first semester grades will be used to help make the decision in many cases. The schools may not always request those updated transcripts from your school if the decision is an easy one, but in many cases they will. So I think there is not a yes/no answer to your question every time. Just what I have heard over the years.
Many ED/EA schools ask for first quarter grades. RD schools pretty much all get a mid-year report with first semester grades. Of course every college is different but schools generally take those senior year grades (as well as senior year course rigor) into account.
On the Purdue threads last December there were a number of early action applicants whose admission decision was deferred until semester grades were available. Most ended up getting admitted, but they lost the opportunity for merit scholarships.
Michigan has a a form of early action and rolling admission. Those who apply by Nov 1 are assured of getting an initial decision, either accept, reject, or deferred by mid Dec. Those who apply thereafter can get an accept or reject decision anytime beginning early Dec or shortly after they apply if they apply after early December. They may get nothing for a long time as they are not told they have been deferred until after the March 1 application deadline. If by the time you get second semester grades, you have still not heard from Michigan, or you do not even apply until then you can send mid-year grades and they will be considered if they arrive in time to be considered before a decision has been made on you.
Cornell has early decision and for that mid-year grades are not used since the decision is released in mid-December. For regular admission, you are required to submit mid-year grades after you apply and those are considered.
Purdue has a Feb 1 application deadline. It follows rolling admission. Thus you are likely to get a decision within several weeks after you apply and submit required materials, and thus if you apply before having mid-year grades, the decision is likely to be made before you get them, but if you apply nearer the application deadline and have mid-year grades to send, they will be considered. Also, Purdue is known to defer some students during the rolling admission period and request their mid-year grades before deciding.
Some schools also request first quarter grades.