<p>I go to Johns Hopkins University, which has the policy that first semester for frehsman is on a pass/fail basis, like I think it is for a lot of universities.</p>
<p>Well, I went to an extremely easy high school so I never had to try hard to do well. So I kept my same study habits for the first round of exams, and needless to say, I didn't do as well as I hope. </p>
<p>My question is that eventhough the first semester is pass/fail, will graduate schools ( I mean engineering or science- not medical) still be able to see my grades? I've heard of some grad schools that actually look at the first semester grades, so the pass/fail thing isn't any good. And if that is true, will the colleges realize that the transition from high school to college isn't always easy and cut a little bit of slack for the first semester?</p>
<p>yes grad schools look at your grades for first semester freshman year, but when those schools look at your grades, all they will see is pass or fail, because that's all that will be reported. For JHU, they know this is the policy and not your choice, so it won't be held against you. However, you better make sure you pass, since right now it sounds like you aren't.</p>
<p>I'll make sure that I pass, but what I meant in my question is that eventhough my transcript will say pass/fail I read someone that grad schools can request to see the actual grades that I got.</p>
<p>I don't think "many" universities and colleges have this policy. I've only heard that MIT did, although they used to have it for the first full year. Feel lucky. :)</p>
<p>maybe grad schools could ask individual teachers for your grades, but the university office will only have your transcript grades, which for the first semester will either be pass or fail</p>
<p>No, graduate schools will not request that you reveal the "actual" grades behind your P's. Thank heavens, too -- my first semester GPA isn't something I'd like to reveal to the PhD programs to which I'm applying!</p>
<p>They will only request that you send an official transcript, which presumably will only note that you passed the classes. (MIT makes it rather administratively difficult for students to reveal their first semester grades in order to discourage schools from requesting them. I would assume JHU has a similar policy.)</p>