Slipping Up My 1st Semester of Junior Year
Hey all. I’m currently a junior going into my 2nd semester. For most of high school, I’ve been a straight A student, with a a few B’s sprinkled in. But, for this semester, I earned 3 B+‘s in 3 of my AP classes. I’m not necessarily aiming for any T-30s other than UCLA or USC, but how will this affect my chances? If I improve in my 2nd semester, will colleges see this as a sort of “upward trend”? I’ve been negatively affected with COVID, so I was hoping I can explain this in my essays. Thanks a lot.
I do not think that there is much that you can do other than work hard, try to stay ahead in all of your classes, get the best grades that you can, and make sure that you apply to at least two safeties. You can also reach out to your teachers whenever you find yourself challenged in a particular subject. It is best to do this early if you can.
COVID has been tough for everyone. I think that universities are very aware of this. AP classes are tougher than regular classes. However, B’s will matter for UCLA and USC.
Improving this next semester will definitely help you if you can do it.
1 Like
You should expect GPA to become even more important at the UCs, given that they are now test-blind. So try to get those Bs up. Everyone is “negatively affected” by covid. So unless you became homeless, it’s probably better not to mention it because it’ll be seen as an excuse.