<p>Can senior year classes raise my gpa if applications are due in December?</p>
<p>If you’re speaking about top selective schools, of course they matter. The schools are looking for self-motivated academic superstars who gravitate towards very advanced classes. If you take a light load and eschew a rigorous schedule, it says a lot about you and your chances at those schools will suffer.</p>
<p>Good luck nonetheless.</p>
<p>Your GC will have to send in your first semester grade report in early/mid January, and so yes, the adcoms will surely look carefully at it for an increasing GPA, and rigor of classes.</p>
<p>this raises an interesting question. Do the colleges calculate an applicant’s GPA based on end of junior year or first semester senior year? Do they view the senior year as supplemental info or part of the GPA calculation?</p>
<p>It depends on your GPA and the school. Generally, if your GPA is high enough they will admit based on 6 semesters with the provision you maintain similar grades your senior year. If your GPA is on the bubble, so to speak, for admission they may wait until you can provide your 7th semester grades.</p>
<p>Be aware:
- Majority of colleges, particularly most public universities, base decisons for admission on grades through junior year. Senior year grades come into play only after you are admitted – if they are bad the college may withdraw your admission.</p>
<ol>
<li>Large minority for regular admission, which announce their decisons in March to April and which include most of your high ranks, require applicants to submit grades from first semester senior year and those are considered for admission. Some of those in the majority mentioned above may actually ask particular candidates, some on the bubble, to submit first semester grades so they can be considered.</li>
</ol>
<p>So on that note, does Freshmen grades count at ALL? It seems Soph and Junior year grades are only used (aside from the senior classes mentioned above).</p>
<p>Do freshman grades count? It depends on the school. Some claim they don’t, but then you know they are going to see them when they look at your official transcript, so I’m never quite sure what this means.</p>
<p>Freshman grades count in relation to admission at most colleges. Some, such as the UCs, do not use freshman grades in determining qualification for admission, but the UCs are among the minority on that issue.</p>
<p>Senior year usually counts at least for the 1st semester (or however your school does it) because of the mid-year report. Also, if you’re taking any AP classes, it helps if you continue to do well in case you want to skip any extra courses. In short, you should act as if ALL of your classes/grades matter. You never know what could happen. Slacking off in senior year is never a good thing.</p>
<p>Yes senior grades matter to the adcoms - that is why a mid year report and final transcripts are required.</p>