Do senior 1st semester grades help?

Applying to College
1

<p>I've been seeing a lot of threads about people panicking about having a downward trend in grades senior year. For me, its the opposite, where I was hoping that my stellar grades in senior first semester could perhaps cushion the impact of a less-than-satisfactory junior year. I've had all A's since freshman year, but I managed to get 3 B's junior year due to personal problems. In senior year, I got A+'s in very difficult classes such as AP computer science, Government, Multivariable calculus, and AP econ. I was wondering whether these grades would HELP my application. From what I've been seeing, it seems that 1st semester grades are used only after acceptance to weed out any slackers.</p>

<p>On a side note- Although I did do well on all my hard courses, I managed to get an A- in regular physics... My teacher did not prepare us at all for a midterm that was written by the county, and therefore, we all failed. I'm not trying to blame my failure on my teacher, I am just explaining that this was the scenario that resulted in me getting an A- in regular physics as opposed to getting an A+ in multivariable calculus. Will this hurt me in any substantial way? Will the A- nullify any positive effects of my other grades?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>Where is your common sense?</p>

<p>Of course doing well senior year will help you. To what extent, no one knows.</p>

<p>Seriously you don’t need to ask this question…</p>

3

<p>Well, it sounded to me like colleges didn’t weigh the 1st semester grades during admission, only afterwards when they revoked acceptances, in which case 1st semester grades would not help me. Also, any comment about the A- in physics? Im worried because its not even an honors course, and I’ve had two B’s in AP science courses last year… How bad will this look?</p>

4

<p>There are lots of threads that will answer your questions about 1st semester senior grades or the mid year report. For regular decision, the 1st semester senior grades will be an important aspect of your application that colleges will take into account before making their decision. 2nd semester senior grades will only matter for rescinding the acceptance. However, for EA/ED both the 1st and 2nd semester senior grades will be used in deciding whether your acceptance should be rescinded. Oh and lol dude it’s an A-…it’s not going to hurt you regardless</p>