How will AOs view upward trends given remote learning for the class of 2021?

Applying to College
1

I have an upward trend GPA (3 B’s total, 2 Freshman year and 1 Sophomore year). I got all A’s Junior year, and I will have all A’s this fall in my Senior year. But how will this upward trend be viewed?

Will it not count, since my last quarter of Junior year and my first semester of Senior year are all online? Will AOs think that, because I got B’s the only two years of high school that were entirely in-person, I didn’t really change myself into an A-student?

I have a 3.9 UW GPA and 4.3 W GPA with the most rigorous courseload available.

2

I suspect it will be viewed just as it always has been.

I doubt there’s an assumption that high school become “easy A school” when it moved remote. Especially since, I assume, grades for 3 of the 4 periods, or at least 1 of the 2 semesters, was in person.

3

Upward trends are better than downward ones, but not as good as having perfect grades all four years. Same as before.

4

Remote courses are valued the same as in person ones. Home schoolers who often have online courses get a fair shake in college admissions.

5

What about for elite colleges? Does “not as good” mean that I have no chance as an unhooked applicant?

6

Well it is holistic, so the rigor of your classes and the strength of your ECs plus everything else will get you due consideration. Elite colleges reject kids with perfect grades and test scores, though. Unless you’re hooked you must go into it realizing your odds are miniscule, as they are for almost all applicants.

That shouldn’t stop you from applying, but you must also apply to match and likely schools that you would be happy to attend and can afford.

7

Ok, but how do my chances compare to if I had had a 4.0? What’s the difference all things else being equal on my app?

8

“All else being equal” they’d take the 4.0 students. But rarely is everything else equal. “Unhooked” is probably a bigger negative than a couple of B’s because that right there puts you in a larger bucket competing for a smaller number of spots, those left over after legacies, children of major donors, recruited athletes and URMs.

Your odds are 1-3%. Take your shot, but you must have matches and safety schools.

9

Does not having perfect stats make it impossible for an unhooked applicant, even with the most strenuous courseload possible at my school? How will schools view extenuating circumstances? (I can get into more detail about that in PM if you are interested).

Thank you for your responses.

10

The same way as they viewed it for earlier classes.

All else is never equal. It is what it is. You can’t change your GPA. Admissions is holistic. But even applicants with perfect stats get rejected.

11

What does that say for someone with a 3.9 UW GPA then? Do I even have a chance, or am I just out of the race as an unhooked applicant? What about extenuating circumstances? Will colleges consider those?

12

If you are unhooked, and have a 3.99 GPA, your odds of getting in to an elite college are between 1% & 3%.

If you are unhooked, and have a 4.0 GPA, your odds of getting in to an elite college are between 1% & 3%.

Can’t get much more specific than that, especially when you haven’t named any particular elite colleges. Even if you do, does it matter much if your odds are .025% better with a 4.0 than with a 3.99?

The takeaway is that you don’t put all your eggs in baskets that have a < 3% chance of not breaking, no matter how pretty the basket looks.