<p>I understand senior grades are important. I didn't do well in the first semester (4 Bs in AP courses and 4 As). My parents are throwing a huge fit, and they think I have no chance at all in any university in the nation. They even made me apply to a 2-year community college. Is mid-year report really important? Will I get automatically rejected in Yale because of my mid-year report (and some Bs in my junior year)?</p>
<p>Mid-Year reports do matter.
Example: one local student (3 years ago, NMS Commended) grades dropped,
and his early college acceptance (not Yale) was pulled.
He actually ended up with no acceptance anywhere, and it was too late to apply to state Univ.
All of the info above direct from his parent.
He took a gap year, and did better when reapplying to college.</p>
<p>As to your Q about getting accepted,
it's always hard to tell
(Adm Office will understand B's in hard AP classes can happen).
Keep working hard, and keep everything in balance (there are lots of good colleges, not just 1 or 2)!
Best wishes!</p>
<p>yes, hp,they do count. Certainly B's in 4 AP classes aren't going to exclude you from admission to many excellent schools. But schools like Yale are looking for students who maintain or improve their previous year's performance in a rigorous or even more rigorous curriculum. These B's will hurt your chances at schools like Yale, unless you have a very compelling reason for the drop (a parent's death, a severe physical illness, etc.). This is not so extreme that you need to think you will only be accepted to community colleges. But, make sure you have good safeties on your list. Weren't you deferred SCEA? If so, these grades will make it unlikely that you will be accepted RD. The good news is that there are many schools who would love to have you and which, I'm sure, would be a good fit for you.</p>
<p>I understand. It's important to keep up good grades, even in senior year. No, I wasn't deferred SCEA, but I was deferred from Princeton ED. I suspect that my grades and my SAT scores were the reasons I was deferred. Fortunately, I improved my SAT score dramatically, so it should help me a little. However, my grades are still same. In the first semester, I maintained straight As; unfortunately, I didn't do well on midterm exams (I still don't understand how to take them). Hence, this brought my grades down. In two AP courses, I am very, very close to getting an A by 1 or 2 points. In another course, I would get a solid A if I do well on midterm exam. Do I ask my counselor to tell colleges how close I was to getting As?</p>
1 Like
<p>hp, you could certainly see if your GC would be willing to do this, but frankly I don't think these schools will "buy" into that. Their thinking? If you haven't figured out midterms by the time you graduate from high school, it's unlikely you'll "figure them out" at an Ivy League school. Again, it's time for you to embrace your safeties. If you happen to get in to one of your reaches, fine. But don't expect that it will happen.</p>
<p>I think senior year mid-year grades are probably the most important grades the admissions officers see. They represent how you are performing at the highest level of classes you have likely taken. While admissions officers probably cut candidates slack for freshman year grades, you should be at the top of your game by senior year.</p>
<p>I agree with quiltguru about embracing your safeties. I'm sure you'll end up somewhere (not a community college) where you'll be happy.</p>
<p>I disagree with AdmissionsAddict--first semester seniors have a lot to deal with--college apps, etc--and schools know this. I think Junior year courses are advanced enough to be the most accurate gauge of a student's abilities.</p>
<p>i'm gonna have to go with addmissions addict on this one. It only makes you look better if you manage to maintain the same grades + ECs + SATs and everything.</p>
<p>hairypotty--
not to be critical of your parents, but they need to ease up on you. Making you apply to junior community college just because you got a couple Bs in AP classes? People get into very good universities all the time with much worse grades than that. Don't worry, it'll work out.</p>
<p>i have a question - wut if ur grades improve in the first semester of ur senior year, but ur rank drops? like as in my case, i have better grades, but im required to take certain unweighted courses such as PE and Health to graduate; my rank's gone from 14 to 22 / 731</p>
<p>Don't all seniors have the same rqmt to graduate, i.e. take PE & Health?
It seems that all srs would have the same unweighted classes as you do?</p>
<p>also, does the university already make ur decision by the time they receive ur midyear report?</p>
<p>yes, but in my school district, those courses are only offered on-level (meaning, they don't have any Honors or AP designation for them), so naturally they'd bump ur GPA down</p>
<p>PE/Health will lower your GPA, but that happens to all Seniors taking these
for graduation rqmt.
So your relative rank should not be affected!</p>
<p>what happens if ur GPA drops from 3.9 Junior year to 3.8 senior year. Junior 3 APs senior year 3 APs with one college level course.</p>
<p>also my school's grading scale is 94-100 A 90-93 B+ so if it were a 90-100 i would have all As.</p>
<p>^ Same here.</p>
<p>from what I hear, it's really the junior year grades that matter the most. why do you think even wicked competitive colleges and universities admit students early? (usually only have 1st quarter grades of senior year?) My AP Calc teacher (it's hard to get a good grade in his class) kept telling us that he was preparing us for the AP and that "your grade doesn't even count so stop worrying about it." Now, I don't think it "doesn't count," but I believe him that it's not weighted as heavily as junior year grades and SATs</p>
<p>I pulled up my gpa/rank with 1st semester senior grades. B00YAH!</p>
<p>Senior year is very important, but when I was at information sessions they really looked at the junior year...</p>
<p>some reasons to be noted:
- senior year is when you are very busy filling out information for colleges // thinking of your future
- senior year is also a transition point and when many people assume new responsibilities</p>
<p>senior year IS IMPORTANT, though.</p>