<p>If I apply SCEA to Yale, I'm guessing that means they can't see my first semester grades. However, in the likelihood that I get deferred to RD, how much would the Mid-Year Report matter? As in, what type of grades are considered bad and be a red flag? </p>
<p>For example, would having one to two B+'s, and one A-, with the rest being A's/A+'s be okay or can that really hurt me? I'm taking 5+ AP classes and my HS transcript as a whole is pretty good with 12+ AP classes total and mostly A's. Also, I don't think my rank would drop at all.</p>
<p>I guess what I'm trying to ask is how much first semester senior grades <em>really</em> matter. It's not that I'm slacking off...this year is just much harder and there's so much college app stuff to do...</p>
<p>I think the mid year report matters in that it will be taken into consideration along with the rest of the transcript.</p>
<p>The Yale Admissions web site says (and I don’t remember the exact words) that students who are comfortable presenting their credentials by November should apply early. If you do get deferred, my take is that the senior grades will matter, and the adcoms will look into the overall transcript as a whole. Any performance degradation will become a matter of concern.</p>
<p>If you do have extenuating circumstances affecting your grades, perhaps a note from your counselor explaining these circumstances would help. If it is simply the amount of work (including filling out college apps) and the “hardness” of your class schedule impacting your performance, that, I am afraid, will not cast you in favorable light at one of the most selective undergrad colleges in the country.</p>
<p>I got a C on my mid-year report along with about 3 B’s. I was still accepted to Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia. My friend had a similar report card (perhaps even slightly worse) and was still accepted to Princeton and Columbia after being admitted to Stanford EA.</p>
<p>Moral: if they want you enough, your mid-year report won’t dramatically affect your admissions decision.</p>
<p>(note of redemption: I ended getting a 4.0 for the year :p)</p>
<p>The mid-year report is very important. It is the most current representation of your academic capabilities in presumably the toughest courses you’ve yet to take. Whether two Bs will hurt you depends on the profile of your high school. If it’s a high school that graduates 40 people with unweighted 4.0s each year, two Bs will be a problem. If it’s a high school where no one graduates with a 4.0, then less of a problem. It also depends on the rest of your profile. If you’re the top football recruit, two Bs is not a problem. If you’re a “generic high achiever” with nothing that really stands out in the EC department, it’s going to hurt you more. It’s all about context.</p>