High School Grades

<p>Hey this is thread about the grades you make in high school.
I have a few questions.
1) Do colleges see your grades in each semester or just year?
2) Do colleges see how high or low a letter grade is? IE: Could they distinguish a 100 from an 89.5?
3) How significant is making a lower grade in a particular subject thats crucial to your major? For example, would it be worse that I made a B in precalculus rather than history if I were to apply to engineering programs?</p>

<p>Extraneous:
Also, how important are high AP test scores in the admissions process? I think i have a couple 3's and a 4 :(. what should i do with that? not report?</p>

<p>Finally, does it look really bad to take an SAT subject test more than once? I screwed up on Chem SAT II in may, and I had already signed up for June SAT I. Would it be that bad to take Chem SAT II again in October?</p>

<p>Thanks for any replies!</p>

<p>i'm pretty sure that colleges only see what's on your transcript. My school only lists the end of year grade for the class and that's it. so colleges wouldn't see percentiles or a semester breakdown for me. however your school might have a different way of putting stuff down for the transcripts so just go to your guidance counselor and ask to see a copy of your transcript and that should give you a pretty good idea of what colleges will see.</p>

<p>It doesn't look bad to take an SAT subject test more than once...just improve of course. =P</p>

<p>for my school, the transcripts include grades and GPA for each semester, includes percentiles/class rank for each semester, and then includes the average/overall GPA and overall class rank for however long u been in high school. </p>

<p>As for the AP test scores, many schools take 3's, depending on what the class is. You gotta go check out the school(s) you want to send your scores to and go see if they accept a 3 for that particular subject. Most schools accept 4's as well.</p>

<p>My school shows EVERYTHING...you can't hide any SAT/ACT scores, AP scores, etc.</p>

<p>I can only speak for my school (private, small, northeast), so...well...</p>

<p>1) Our grades for each semester and the cumulative score. So it would be</p>

<p>Algebra I: 80 79 80
(Subject, 1st sem, 2nd sem, Total)</p>

<p>For instance</p>

<p>2) On ours, it is the number so schools can recalculate the grade and to distinguish. It would a bit unfair for a kid who got an "A" in School #1 (A: 90-100) to have a lower percentage than a B+ in another (B+: 89-91). </p>

<p>3) I figure that on a borderline candidate, it could be a credential. However, I figure that many schools look for the major passion through essays or ECs or the type of class taken. That's just a guess</p>

<p>For the AP, I have heard that it isn't a major consideration (especially considering that many schools either only allow upperclassmen or are held in a majority. At my school, for all intents and purposes, only one AP is open before Senior Year. Some others are available for the exceptional student), although there's no way the schools I applied to could see my AP grade before I have been accepted, sent in housing, etc.</p>

<p>Mathwizard, Now is the time to ask your counsellor these questions. Ask to see your transcript. Ask to see what documentation is sent along with information from the counsellor. I believe AP and IB scores for US universities can add college credits for you if your scores are good. Like others have pointed out, you can take the SAT multiple times. All your scores will show so improve as you go.</p>