I applied Regular Decision to:
UMass Amherst
UMass Boston
UMass Lowell
Northeastern
Boston U
WPI
UConn
SAT Score: 1360 (New)
Extracurriculars: JV Track, VP of Debate Club, , 100+ hrs of volunteer work at library/hospital/food pantry,
Class Rigor: At least 2 honors classes each year, as well as one or two APs each year after freshman year
Also URM
My grades were not that spectacular my first two years of high school, which I stated was due in part to moving to a new part of my city to an entirely new neighborhood and high school (explained in applications). After the first 2 years I only had a weighted GPA of 2.75 weighted. Junior year I stepped things up an got a 3.1 weighted. It was this year when I really brought things up, with a senior year GPA of 3.75 weighted as of midterm exams. The part that worries me is that my Guidance Office sends these Midyear Reports in late February, and I fear that colleges will have already made their first impression and tossed my application. I really believe that these grades are critical in assessing my performance.
So will colleges wait for my midyear reports in order to fully assess my application?
P.S. Sorry in advance if this sounds more like a “What are My Chances?” than an admissions question
What you could do is email the colleges telling them that you will be sending your mid year reports late-Feb (explain the system at your school) and request them to keep your file open so that they can add the report to your file. Now, I don’t know if they’ll actually wait to review the scores, but it’s worth a try.
PS. Do mention that these are your most recent scores and that you would really like it if they considered these since you believe that they’re critical in assessing your academic performance. Good luck!
That sounds like a good idea, just one question, however. How should I ask this without sounding really overbearing on the admissions counselor?
Honestly this is probably me being very paranoid about not getting on the bad side of these admissions officers, but I do think it is a really good suggestion once I figure out how to word it
You should just write a note as an update, giving your grades pending the final report. And then go into your guidance office and tell them you need the mid-year report sent now.
Sounds good, fortunately I already have a an appointment with my counselor set up for this week anyway so I should be able to tie up these loose ends. I’ll be sure to update on how things go
@bsyeda2 definitely! Just tell them that you’re really sorry for the delay and that your counselor will try their best to send the reports as soon as they possibly can. Good luck once again
Personally, I don’t like “what are my chances” questions because everyone expects a yes or a no answer. It is very difficult to answer this question for you because of the marked upward trend in your grades. This trend indicates that you are probably a good risk in any of these schools. This is the part of this answer you need to remember!
By all means, make sure your latest grades make it into all the admissions offices as this is your strongest shot. If you have a few favorites (put your favorite backup in there) write an unsolicited note to them along with your grades ASAP as it should make it into your file. No doubt, all these schools do not operate on the same system. If they are still reading folders, your note should be in the file. Some bleary-eyed admissions person will spend a few more minutes on your file. That fact they may be bleary-eyed does not mean they will get made at you. Just write a thoughtful note.
Your essay, your interview, the fact you live in North Dakota and are the only applicant from that state could have made all the difference, if it were true. I’m guessing you are from Massachusetts.
@retiredfarmer@forthewin85@hopeyhippie
Update:
I went and asked my counselor on the 1st to send the grades early. She said she will try her best, although there might be an administrative debate over it. From what I know right now, those grades are yet to be sent. I decided to email all schools and tell them of my situations. Some (WPI, UML) understood my dillemma and were glad to wait. UConn said that while it isn’t a requirement, they will add it to their file once they recieve it. UMass Amherst’s reply had me the most nervous however, seeing as it is my top target school. They said that while they will put it into my file, they cannot guarantee that it will be taken into account as it is past their Credentials Deadline, which was on the 1st
Hoping for the best
P.S. On the bright side, i did get into my one of my safety’s, UMB, I guess…
