<p>I absolutely love USC, but unfortunately my 1st semester grades are atrocious (about a 3.0 unweighted).</p>
<p>What's the chance that USC doesn't ask for my 1st semester grades?</p>
<p>BTW, I'm applying to Marshall with Psychology as my alternate major.</p>
<p>I feel that if USC asks for my 1st semester grades, I'm screwed and have no chance of being admitted.</p>
<p>3.5 GPA unweighted
1470/1600 SAT
Competitive school in affluent CT
Solid ECs
Nice essays</p>
<p>I think you are required to send in the mid year report, which includes the first semester Senior grades.</p>
<p>I think last year, my daughter was admitted to USC before the semester grade was available. If you are borderline they will ask for Senior year grade.</p>
<p>Yes, my D was too. I think that if you are not admitted in the earlier waves or by March or so, USC would expect to receive the mid year report.</p>
<p>Aight. nice, nice.</p>
<p>In case they do ask for semester grades, what should my explanation be?</p>
<p>You have too many APs?</p>
<p>I'm taking 4 APs.</p>
<p>Also, my aunt is suffering from cancer (I should have mentioned that in my original post). That's got to be valid enough.</p>
<p>This definitely has impacted my performance in school.</p>
<p>The thing is, I don't want to make like I'm not responsible for my grade decline, and that I'm displacing the accountability onto someone/something else.</p>
<p>I heard on CC you don't want to explain for bad grades, ie no excuse. Do you have to take care of your aunt? if not, I don't see any reason to mention it.</p>
<p>KoreanGurl, I understand you don't want to offer an "excuse" but a short to the point letter that you could forward along with the mid year report won't hurt, as long as you were really impacted by taking part in her care or being particularly close in some way. Your SAT score is good, but also keep in mind that last year's uwGPA average for accepted students was around a 3.8.</p>
<p>If you don't want to do that, and if you think that you will improve your grades and GPA drastically in second semester, there is always the option of appealing if you are rejected. (I do know of a couple of students who were successful with appeals). If you were to decide to do that, then that may be the time to relay the info about the impact your aunt's illness made on your grades 1st semester. At that time you could offer "new information" by also sending a 2nd semester midterm report and enlisting the aid of your GC in writing the explanation and corroborating that your grades are much better.
Just an option to to think about.</p>
<p>You know I was a border line applicant last year and when they asked me for my mid year report...It felt like someone stabbed me with a sword. I wasn't a very strong candidate myself, but I had a 3.0 UW senior year too. I was still in so just relax. My 1st semester consisted of 2 Cs, 2 As, 2 Bs.</p>
<p>Damn, tenacious.</p>
<p>What were your stats?</p>