<p>So I'm an all A student who will have taken around 12 APs by the time I graduate, BUT my first quarter grades have a couple Bs (my first ones ever):</p>
<p>AP Stats: A+
Multivariable Calc: A-
AP Physics C: A
AP Economics: A+
AP Spanish Language: B+
AP English Literature: B</p>
<p>I got reaaallllly tough teachers for Literature and Spanish. How bad will the B and B+ hurt me?</p>
<p>Is your school on the semester system or the quarter system? Are you applying for SCEA or RD?</p>
<p>If your school is on the semester system, Harvard will only receive your first semester grades in the mid-year report (that’s true if you applied SCEA or RD).</p>
<p>If your school is on the quarter system, your first quarter grades MAY not be included on your transcript for the SCEA cycle (in depends on your high school, so check with your GC). If your school is on the quarter system, your first quarter grades will most definitely appear on your transcript for the RD cycle.</p>
<p>In either case, it’s difficult to say how much a downward trend will hurt you. </p>
<p>@gibby I am applying SCEA and I know that my first quarter grades WILL be sent as that’s my school’s policy. </p>
<p>Generally speaking, college admissions officers are more lenient with a few B’s in a student’s freshman and sophomore year, but they want to see an upward trend going into your senior year. As a result, I would think there is a possibility of being deferred, as Admissions might want to wait for the mid-year report to get a better sense of how you are doing senior year (sorry).</p>
<p>So if grades through the first three years are a bit shaky (obviously not actually shaky, but relatively speaking), would a very strong first quarter senior year greatly help my chances?</p>
<p>Harvard expects applicants to have very strong grades their senior year. So, no your chances do not increase just because you had very strong first quarter grades – that’s sort of par for the course.</p>
<p>@gibby Thanks. Definitely not what I wanted to hear; however, I think I’ll be able to raise the B+. I hope Harvard can overlook one B… </p>