Many students had challenging and atypical learning environments and mental health challenges last school year. Will college admissions take this into consideration if grades are substantially higher sophomore- senior year?? Or will they be too concerned with their admission stats being pulled down?
For comments on my daughter’s specific situation, my child had a solid B average with several honors classes freshman year for her core classes. Her grades are all A/A- now, but she needed to drop down levels in Math and Science, moved up to honors in English and History (her area of interest). As she starts to ask about college, I want to be able to guide her to the right mix of schools to get interested in. Thanks.
Upward trends are always a good thing. Just tell her to continue to do her best. After she has test scores, you can start figuring out an affordable, balanced college list. IMO, it’s too soon to know what the right mix of schools will be.
I am actually wondering if this is going to be an issue for the opposite issue. Kids that did very well with the pandemic and shorter days and more time for assignments and a rough time transitioning back to full days and full commitments.
Yes, upward trends are always good, but just wondering if colleges will acknowledge the extremely atypical year and weigh the 2020-2021 year differently/lighter than a normal year.
Everyone went through the pandemic. This is not a special condition that applies to only some students. If applying to selective schools, there will be students that managed to keep their grades up and they will likely have an advantage over those that didn’t.
Not everyone went through it in the same way… mental health, covid Illness, fear and deaths, a lot of virtual school for some, closed schools a lot in some areas, teachers out a lot for some students. Many more kids had a highly disrupted years. Not normal.
But there is no way for them to know what the situation was for each student. My daughter had straight A’s last year with all virtual and 5 AP classes, her twin brother had the worst semester of his life in the spring, barely phoned it in, first C ever and in normal times he would’ve had worse grades, his teachers were very forgiving.
Yep, rough reentry this year for many, I hear girls in particular for some reason. Maybe it’s due to the social piece in part. Mine was emotionally struggling to be motivated after such a ridiculously easy year last year.
Is your daughter a sophomore? I think she will be fine as long as her school is providing a situation that suits her, amidst continuing COVID in some places. Good for her for dropping down in math and science and focusing on subjects she likes and is good at.
She really doesn’t have to think about college yet. Second semester junior year is a good time to start.
If she does well sophomore year through senior year I am sure colleges will value that.
Thanks. We are only talking about college now because she’s excited about it and she is now motivated to improve. But I just dont want to hear her to the wrong schools to explore
When looking at colleges, take her current GPA into account. Don’t pretend her freshman year didn’t happen because many colleges take all years into account. You cant erase the past. Sounds like she will have many good options. It isn’t about getting into a top college but rather getting into the best school for her that fits what she wants.