Is it true that Junior Year Grades>Senior Year Grades?

Applying to College
1

<p>Alright friends, I'm in a little bit of a dilemma</p>

<p>I have applied to some top flight universities (BC, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Cornell, Penn) and feel that I'm middle of the pack in terms of SATS/ACTS (2200 SAT and 33 ACT) but my extras, volunteer work and recommendations are very solid</p>

<p>I have a feeling that grades are going to be my deal breaker (as they are for many people)</p>

<p>Now, I have done very well all through high school. I have taken the most difficult schedule offered at my school (which is a Catholic School with a class size of 233) and exams are tomorrow. These exams end the semester, which in turn signals the end of what I can do for college admission. Of course, I recognize that I can't fail my second half Senior Year, but the mid-year report is essentially the end of it all.</p>

<p>Here is my question though, I know there is the age old discussion that Junior grades are the most important out of all four years. Do you guys believe that is true? And just for reassurance, my Junior grades were 3.8 GPA UW and 4.1 W...if my exams go decently, I would wind up with 1st half GPA of 3.65 UW and W of 3.95 (roughly of course)...I know it isn't a huge difference I am extremely worried for some reason.</p>

<p>The level of difficulty between my Senior and Junior year isn't that much, simply because in Junior year I had to take Calc, Advanced Chem and Physics Honors, so I could take AP Calc, Chem and Physics this year. My school runs on block scheduling and our years are divided into two semesters (kind of like college really)</p>

<p>I really don't know the true meaning of my question or if I'm just looking for reassurance. Essentially, maybe I'm asking will Colleges look down on a slightly lower Senior Year GPA (even when they see all of my classes) or if an 85-88 unweighted grade in Calc AP will kill me (that's another thing I'm worried about)</p>

<p>Anything you guys have to offer is appreciated</p>

<p>Maybe I'm just stressing out over nothing</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>Of course colleges will look down on a slightly lower senior year gpa. Who wouldn’t? It is lower, after all.</p></li>
<li><p>If your exams are tomorrow, shouldn’t you be studying for them? Maybe if you study well enough this whole lower gpa deal might not be an issue for you. Much more productive and useful than asking a question like this here, you know?</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>Tongue-in-cheek?</p>

<p>Because I’ve reached a saturation point with studying</p>

4

<p>Stressing over nothing.
any assurance giving at CC means nothing until April.</p>

5

<p>At which point it turns out that most of the assurance giving at CC had no basis.</p>

6

<p>^ are you taking BC or AB? If you’re getting that score in AB, then colleges might be concerned a “teeny” bit. But in my opinion, I think your SAT scores are solid for BC (my friends who had SAT scores in the 2000’s got into BC easily through reg. decision in the past years, so this is the basis on which I’m making this assumption). </p>

<p>To be really honest, I think your SAT’s are solid are for all those listed schools, so the admissions will probably be looking more into your essays, recommendations, and ec’s. Don’t worry that your senior grades have slipped a little—as long as it’s not a considerable drop from Junior and Sophomore years, they will probably be forgiving about it. Many people say that your gpa’s and SAT scores are what get you into a top-flight school, but in reality, it’s the application package, as in how you’ve drawn a picture of yourself as an applicant, that matters in the long run.</p>