<p>Do colleges actually look at senior year or no?</p>
<p>It depends. Some colleges will ask for mid-year reports where they will look at the grades for the first semester of your senior year.</p>
<p>Every school that I know of will ask for your senior year 1st semester grades. They will then ask for 2nd semester grades, and WILL recind your acceptance if they fall below whatever their schools threshold is. Do not slack off assuming your acceptance letter is golden, whether it be ED or RD. Either can be taken from you if the situation warrants.</p>
<p>I think it matters quite a bit. I went to Providence College a few weeks ago to interview. When I got to Admissions I ran into the counselor that handles my area. We’ve met before and have emailed each other over the past year. </p>
<p>The first thing she asked me (after asking If I had a nice summer - and what I did) was “what classes are you taking senior year”?</p>
<p>Also - if you were to get waitlisted anywhere, your senior grades are VERY important!</p>
<p>When my D applied ED to Cornell, the Adcom called her Guidance Counselor to check on her first quarter grades approx. 2 weeks before decisions were announced.</p>
<p>There are seven semesters that colleges can evaluate you. If you take a cream puff Senior year schedule, why shouldn’t they ding you over someone else who continues to push himself/herself? And the eighth semester better not be a fall-off-a-cliff failure either.</p>
<p>Put yourself in the colleges’ shoes. What would you do?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Your first semester will definitely be considered. Your upward trend or steady good grades should continue.</p></li>
<li><p>Others will work very hard their first semester senior year. Therefore, you will be at a disadvantage in comparison if you do not.</p></li>
<li><p>Your second semester senior year grades will be considered only in the sense that if you seriously slacked off (e.g. a D or lots of Cs, not a B), your admission will be rescinded and you will be pretty much screwed.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>It is not correct that all colleges use first semester grades to determine admission:</p>
<p>Majority of colleges, including most public universities, actually make admission decisons based on grades through junior year and want no mid-year reports. If admitted, they can (and will) rescind admission if you have a bad senior year.</p>
<p>Others that have early decision or early action make those decisons usually based on grades through junior year but may or may not want a mid-year report of first semester grades (for purposes of determinig whether to withdraw the admission offer) and definitely reserve right to rescind if final senior grades are bad.</p>
<p>Rest of colleges with regular admission that make decisons in March/April want mid-year reports with first semester grades and use those for admission and also reserve right to rescind if final senior grades are bad.</p>