<p>I had several Bs last year, but I was hoping that at least colleges will see my grades from the start of senior year. I'm applying to some colleges early, and I was wondering if they will see my senior year grades at all when I send in the application. Could anyone clarify?</p>
<p>ED/EA applications are usually due in early Nov. and decisions are usually given in early Dec. Mid-term grades are usually available/reported in Jan.</p>
<p>So colleges will not see my senior year grades at all if I apply early? Not even the mid-quarter/quarter grades?</p>
<p>That is typically correct - if you apply EA or ED - you are applying on the strength of 9th, 10th and 11th grades. If you are counting on a stellar first semester senior year to boost your GPA - you may want to rethink the early applications. On the other hand - you could apply EA/ED - and if the colleges do not feel your grades are strong enough - they will defer your application to the RD round - in which case they will see your mid-year grades.</p>
<p>^ Unless the college typically tends to avoid deferring kids to RD round (ie. Stanford) and then your early ED application will hurt you if your grades are trending up.</p>
<p>ED/EA decisions are made upon grades through junior year except sometimes a college might request applicants to submit mid fall semester grades. Usually, high school transcripts don’t include those on a transcript that is sent in October or Nov for EA/ED. Nothing prevents you from self reporting those in an essay if you have them by time you apply. Although probability is that won’t have any impact, you never know what a reviewer might think.</p>
<p>YaleGradandDad, wouldn’t an upward trend be seen as a positive thing, and my early application as a symbol of my liking the university very much?</p>
<p>Drusba, so it’s OK to send my grades at the time in addition to the transcript?</p>
<p>mariya:</p>
<p>An upward trend beats a flat or downward trend when your freshman year grades are lower but you are asking the admissions staff to assume you belong at the 4.0 range and not the 3.2 grade range for your senior year. If you are a straight 4.0 student through junior year then you are applying on the strength of information readily available. If you are hoping to have earlier grades regarded less because of a trend upwards, you would be better off having the adcoms see your first semester senior year grades.</p>
<p>As for early application showing interest, this probably makes no difference at the most competitive schools unless it is a binding early decision program. The assumption is that type of program strengthens the matriculation yield and it favors the school to take a sizable portion of the class that way from its most committed students. Of course this only works if you want to forgo other options. With the more competitive schools rejecting thousands of applicants fully qualified to do the work and add to the community, they are not lacking for applicants that “show interest”. I heard one Ivy adcom officer say that if they took the 2000 applicants they were about to accept, tossed their folders and admitted the next most desirable 2000 applicants, not one student or faculty member on campus would notice a difference in the incoming freshman class to discover this secret.</p>