<p>My daughter told me that her hs counselor said today to a group of Sr's that college admissions people will not see their senior grades.</p>
<p>This was disheartening since she was really going all out with a challenging course load and going at it this last year to get the best showing that she could.</p>
<p>I said I'd bring the question up on CC.</p>
<p>They'll know, or at least ask the right questions to pull out the details :)</p>
<p>Yes, they will see the senior year grades. There is something called a mid-year report and it gets sent to all the common application colleges your daughter applies to. Senior year grades are real important. If someone wants to go to an ivy, there is nothing worse than a tube in your mouth than to get poor grades (anything less than B+'s) senior year.</p>
<p>Senior grades aren't REALLY important, but they are taken into consideration.</p>
<p>I think colleges just expect to see the same trend in the previous years.</p>
<p>Senior year grades won't really make or break your application unless your grades drop considerably.</p>
<p>If I got Bs in my AP classes (Weighted would be A) would that be bad for colleges?</p>
<p>Whether a college will see or use senior year first semester grades depends on college. Many require that mid-year reports (first semester transcript) be provided for their regular admission and those are factored in with other grades in making decision. However, many colleges, including most public universities, base admission decisions on grades through junior year and do not require or use mid-year reports for the decision to admit.</p>
<p>I've also have concerns with this issue.
I have had an upward trend in my transcript, (B-, B, B+) in the past three years, and i really want to show the colleges that i am applying to that I am capable of doing my best, and that it wasn't just a fluke.</p>
<p>I've also written my college essays somewhat around this issue.</p>
<p>Will they wait for my midyear grade reports and really take them into consideration, or possibly throw out my application if they dont think that i meet the standards of their university, before seeing the senior year grades?</p>
<p>Some schools look at mid year grade. Most require final transcipts, and can revoke an admission if the student hasn't kept their grades up, or had dropped all the challenging classes they said they would take on their application.</p>
<p>I'm not sure which state you are in, but the UCs don't look at senior grades until after admissions. (And college counselors in the public schools in California are very familiar with the UCs, Cal State, and Community Colleges, not so much with private schools.)</p>
<p>thanks for the input. So it looks like a mixed bag depending on the college. We are from Illinois. </p>
<p>quote--
However, many colleges, including most public universities, base admission decisions on grades through junior year and do not require or use mid-year reports for the decision to admit.</p>
<p>Maybe the HS counselor was thinking of how and when the Illinois publics view the stats and she was not making a statement on ALL colleges in the USA. Anyone know whether UIUC sees anything beyond JR yr?</p>
<p>The assumption behind the question obviously is for any application made in Jan of the graduating year -- do admins see the 1st yr stats?</p>
<p>The hidden question is: WHEN does the mid yr report that I saw mentioned above get generated - generally? Does it depend on the HS? And is there enough time to get the mid yr report for a RD app done, in what, Jan?</p>
<p>In other words, do colleges design the timing of their RD apps deadline to be able to capture mid yr rpts?</p>
<p>Trust me, senior year grades are really important, and they're used to weed out all the near perfect applicants applying to ivy league and other top colleges. You need a major hook to get anything less than B+'s senior year.</p>
<p>^^^^Of course they time it around the freaking mid year reports, which is why applications are due the middle of the academic year.</p>
<p>UIUC does not use first semester senior year grades for admission and you do not send them. It relies on class rank through junior year. Senior year grades are not provided until after high school graduation (and thus after you have been admitted) and then can be used to withdraw the decision to admit if they are bad. UIUC has a "priority date" for submitting applications, usually November 15. Those who apply by that date AND get all required materials (application wsith essays, counselor's form that comes with application, official transcript, and official test score from the testing agency) into UIUC's hands by that date (not just mailed by that date), will be notified of a decision -- admit, deny, or deferred until all applications are in -- on December 15. Applying by the priority date gives you some advantage over those who apply later. Those deferred under that process or who apply after Nov 15 get notified in late Feb or early March of final decision. In other words, get the app and materials in early for UIUC; its app usually comes out mid September.</p>
<p>As to submitting the mid-year reports (which essentially means just submitting an updated high school transcript showing first semester senior year grades) to those requiring them, that is something the student has to have done by directing the high school to send a transcript as soon as first semester grades come out -- usually the application materials for a college that requires mid-year grades will tell you this. Those will be colleges that make regular decisions en masse in Feb, Mar, or April, and, if they require first semester senior year grades, the college will not decide admission until they are received but you need to have them sent promptly after they come out and when they come out depends on the high school.</p>
<p>Note, the majority of colleges do not require first semester senior year grades for admission. However, one group that definitely does are higher ranked private colleges. When you get beyond that group to second tier or lower schools, you will find that many of them have "rolling" admissions -- they make decisions as applications are received, e.g., apply any month in the Fall and get a decision in a matter of weeks after applying, and thus decide most admissions before anyone even has first semester senior year grades. Even some highly regarded private colleges, e.g., Rose-Hulman (for engineering) have rolling admissions. If you are intending to apply to a rolling admissions college, it is also advised that you do so early.</p>
<p>yea...i'm really concerned about this subject as well...u see for me...i took very challenging classes freshman and sophomore year and got straight A's and had a perfect GPA...HOWEVER...for junior year...i just took way too many APs and basically i bit off more than i could chew...and my grades suffered (all B+s) and i dropped to like 9%...SOOO i'm really relying on these senior year mid yr grades (cuz i lessened my courseload) and i hope to get straight A's again by midyear...this way...i hope the colleges will see that..'ok, maybe this kid just took too many classes junior yr and f'ed up' ...hopefully...this is what is making me apply to all my schools regular decision lol...is this a good choice?</p>
<p>Even on an ED application - the college called HS guidance and had them fax senior grades through Nov.</p>
<p>It definitely depends on the college. Even ED applications sometiems ask for the mid term grades if available. Also, there is always a disclaimer in an acceptance letter stating admission is contingent on "successful completion" of senior year. Two kids from my class rec'd letters after their final transcripts were received by the colleges they were gojng two. Both demanded an explanation for a letter grade drop in two classes. Both had to write letters explaining the situation and final acceptance was contingent on a review of their explanations. Don't slack off..it definitely isn't worth it.</p>
<p>It depends a lot on each schools policy. Some schools take Senior grades to be as important as junior, while others say they are neglible. Ask each individual adcom</p>
<p>drusba, thanks for the great reply. I see you are from ILL., so you know UIUC's nuts and bolts.</p>
<p>igglesfan said--
Even on an ED application - the college called HS guidance and had them fax senior grades through Nov.</p>
<p>What college was this? public, private, uni, lac, selective, usnr rank?</p>
<p>to put a quick summation on what I learned so far:</p>
<p>*different colleges use sr mid yr info differently, some not at all</p>
<p>*ck with specific college adcon to be sure</p>
<p>*all colleges see the sr grades, if even after an admit decision, so sr's: keep at it!</p>
<p>My question is especially assumed to be - do the colleges see the sr info AT ADMISSION ASSESSMENT TIME; while they could roll back an admit decision based on poor sr grades, they presumably cannot roll back a 'deny' once rendered.</p>
<p>At many schools your mid-year grades are TREMENDOUSLY important. It was so frustrating to read an application and grow to really love an applicant, then to advocate on their behalf only to open the file in March and see mid-years well below performance. </p>
<p>All of a sudden, that kid whose application I love is no longer a viable applicant. This happened a number of times with students who absolutely I adored and for whom I was prepared to fight except that their mid-years tanked. If you are applying to competitive colleges, take your senior year seriously, and balance the workload so that you don't burn out and produce poor (relatively) grades.</p>
<p>Where I work, your senior year grades are always an important factor in your academic evaluation. And though that might not be the case at all highly selective institutions, I can assure you it's the case at enough places that if you are going the highly selective route it's best to assume that's how it is everywhere.</p>
<p>We get our First semester grades end of December, and most of my colleges want all of the stuff by January 15, Will the transcript I send in (GPA/Rank) Include my 1st semester senior year grades on the transcript?</p>
<p>That is really an issue to discuss with your high school. Likely, if you request the transcript be sent immediately after mid-semester grades are recorded, it will include your senior grades but discuss with your school what you want done and when to send -- possible issue, your grades may get in your hands end of December but because of school break, there may be no one in the school's office to send them to colleges until after the holiday.</p>
<p>Ahhh alright! THanks alot! I will be sure to email my counselor as soon as possible about this! Thank YoU!</p>
<p>thanks all for the input. dr tufts, it is cool to get some insight into the mind of an..(drum)...admissions person....I thought you were the enemy, the car salesman from whom I-ahem, I mean my daughter, is trying to get that car -- I mean that college acceptance! You on our side, bro. it is that star chamber committee of suits we gotta get by. yes, is the answer. And dr tufts knows that...for sure!</p>
<p>drusba, you seem attuned to the process. Question on applying priority on 11-15 for a UIUC app+: you said it can be beneficial to the admissions decision/process to get the app in as soon as possible. However, one would lose the positive bump from results from a good course load. </p>
<p>if one is in a gray margin (such as my daughter), then this could be a deny. While an 'accept' can be rolled back due to poor sr grades, can a <em>deny</em> be rolled back on seeing good grades later?</p>
<p>+the concepts discussed here are also applicable to any college where one is applying before mid yr results are available; so this is not an exclusively uiuc thing.</p>