<p>When applying early decision to Wash U, how much do first quarter senior year grades matter? I know they're required to be sent and that ad coms obviously look at them, but to what extent is their significance/can they potentially make or break acceptance?
Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>My guess is that if you have WUSTL level stats going into senior year and your Q1 grades maintain that, it doesn’t help you that much. But the converse of bad Q1 grades (relatively speaking) could be disastrous. After all, with so many highly talented students vying for a lesser number of available slots, why would they risk an acceptance on someone that seems to be having academic issues shortly before starting college? Put another way, these schools look for upward trends (or consistently superior levels), not declines.</p>
<p>Of course if there is an external factor that is an issue, that would have to be noted in the grade report or communicated separately. Examples would be illness, loss of a close family member, or any other highly significant events that would understandably affect ones ability to maintain academic performance.</p>
<p>Alright that makes sense, thanks!
Any more ideas anyone?</p>