So I’m a senior attending a very prestigious Chicago high school with questions about grade updates. My college counselor has told me that there’s an extremely high possibility that some of the schools I’ve applied to (Columbia, USC and Wash U) will ask for grade updates over the next couple of weeks. He said that this is because of my extremely great upward trend (like 3.1 GPA for Sophomore year to 3.7 GPA Junior year, currently having a 3.71 senior year). I was wondering does this mean that they are seriously considering me or will have a conversation about me during one of their admissions committee meetings? What would you make of this? My grades right now are straight A’s and one B.
So you attend “a very prestigious Chicago high school” and yet you think anonymous strangers on the internet have a better idea what grade updates mean than your college counselor? Hmmm…
Colleges will ask school GC to submit mid-year reports directly. This is a common practice particular for some students sitting on the border line for admission.
Had there been some emergency situation for your low grades, you were expected to mention it in the application. Since you didn’t, it means you either improved or just took an easier class to raise your GPA.
Without knowing anything about your application and even the college you’re looking for, it is hard to determine whether the adcoms will consider you or talk over you.
So, I would give my opinion on three scenarios.
If you're a strong applicant
They would likely appreciate the upward trend. They might even contact the counselor for a mid year report to ensure whether that increase was just in one semester (because of an easy class?) or whether you have actually improved academically. A better report will get you in, a drop will decrease chances a little bit (but you may still get in).
If you're an average applicant.
They would ask for your mid-year reports to find out whether you are really improving. If they get a good report, it will likely get you in. If they see a decrease, you may be pushed to the borderline, or below it.
If you're a weak applicant.
They’ll know you are improving, and might just become academically matured for the university in consideration. But some universities like the ivys etc, might just pass.
You see, in any case, if they ask for your mid-term grades (which they most probably will, as your counselor said), they are thinking over you. This does not mean they are seriously considering you. It just means they found something interesting they wanna know more about.
I am not sure what update you are talking about. All three of the colleges you mention require what is called a mid-year report containing grades which is supposed to be submitted right after you get your senior year, first semester grades. You must have your counselor submit those without any request from the college. If they have not been submitted already, you better have your counselor send them immediately, and I mean today, because you may be on the verge of being denied admission for failure to provide required materials to be considered for admission.
If the mid-year report has been submitted, then I am not sure what other grades any college could possibly be asking for now.
^ ^ ^
Completely correct. Since your first semester grades (i.e., your Mid-Year Report) should have been submitted to all three institutions about a month ago and since you almost certainly have received no additional formal performance reports in the last month, I suggest you TODAY verify that your first semester grades were provided by your GC on the normal schedule. If your GC did not provide your first semester grades on-schedule, as required, that’s a substantial issue. You may have to call the universities’ admissions offices immediately, explain what happened, and get the Mid-Year Report to them ASAP.
and TopTier and drusba “Grade Updates” are correspondences from colleges to guidance counselors asking about a student’s grades after Mid-Years have been submitted (which they have been for me). As determined2300 explained, they’re to check on a student’s academic progress early spring before making a final decision.
Of course, @jjknowles, that’s obvious and known by all. I “delicately” phrased post #5 because I believed (and still believe) there is a fair chance your GC did not provide the Mid-Year Reports on-time (or, possibly, at all) and is now attempting to “cover his (or her) tracks” by indicating that some of your target schools may soon want “updates.” Frankly, that’s the only reasonable explanation I perceive, because – had the first semester/Mid-Year reports been provided as scheduled – there would now, quite literally, be nothing to “update.”
Have you seen the “update” requests from the universities? Why are you sure your Mid-Year Reports were submitted on time? Have you received independent “admissions portal” confirmation from the schools? If so, that’s great – but it still is confusing, since there are no new formal grade reports to provide AND likely will be none by 31 March, when admissions decisions are rendered – but if not, my scenario may be correct. Clearly, “reading between the lines” is a skill worthy of development.
I doubt it. Colleges either accept or don’t accept you. They have no time for grade checking and rarely rescind offers unless you don’t graduate or flunked out.
Not true, colleges regularly ask for mid-year reports when they are considering a student who is borderline. If these schools automatically expect those mid-term grades, then they may or may not look at them but there is the possibility that they will.