Huge Inconsistency in Transcript

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm pretty sure this has been asked over and over again, but I couldn't really narrow down the search to what I needed. In 9th grade I did awful, and finished the year with a 2.7. 10th grade I finished with a 3.7, and 11th will be around 3.5-3.6. </p>

<p>The problem is, I have absolutely no reason for doing poorly in 9th grade. I just didn't care, and I had no motivation to worry about my grades. How can I display this situation in the best light? Is there anything I can explain in the </p>

<p>"Include any additional information that you would like to provide regarding special circumstances, additional qualifications, etc."</p>

<p>section of the CommonApp? Should I just not write anything? What will be assumed based on the full point GPA leap between 9th and 10th grade?</p>

2

<p>It’s not that unusual for grades to improve dramatically over the course of high school, as students mature and get better at organizing their time/focusing on their true priorities. Admissions Committees understand that kids grow up, and they prefer to see an upward grade trajectory than the reverse. Moreover, you don’t have anything, really, to write on the Common App (schools would only want to hear if there was some disastrous situation like a death in the immediate family, a major illness, that sort of thing). So I’d just leave it be, and emphasize the positive in my essays.</p>

3

<p>Just let the upward trend speak for itself. And consider getting a rec from a teacher you will have had for four years, if possible. They’ll be able to speak about your growth.</p>