Should You Apply For EA When You...

Applying to College
1

<p>So I'm currently going into my senior year and have started applying for colleges. However, I am wondering if I should apply for EA because i messed up my junior year. I had a 3.8 going into junior year but dropped down to a 3.6 by the end of it. I had a 3.1 average in junior year. Should i wait until I finish my first semester of senior year, so that i can show that i am still capable or should i just apply for EA? If I do apply EA, how do I explain my low gpa junior year. The reason i did so bad was my school changed the schedule from a block format 8 classes where normal/honor courses were half a year and AP's were a full year to 6 classes where every class was a full year except electives. I took 3 AP's junior year thinking i could handle it but my normal classes gave as much work as AP classes and I couldn't juggle that much. Is this reason even worth mentioning in my essays if I apply EA or regular.</p>

<p>Tell me what you think</p>

2

<p>anyone?? Please really need advice</p>

3

<p>My opinion is that the potential boost in your first semester Senior grades may be the crucial factor in accept/reject if you’re aiming for selective schools. The conventional wisdom is that EA/ED is for those who are very confident in their academic achievements up to the end of Junior year. Since you’re banking on a GPA boost from this upcoming, then you should wait.</p>

<p>You can only do yourself harm, IMHO.</p>

4

<p>Definitely wait. EA pools can be competitive and you want to be able to show that you have improved since last school year.</p>

5

<p>There’s no question about this one. You should wait until regular decision so that you can show that you improved your grades in your first semester of senior year.</p>

6

<p>Concerning the reason for my grade drop, is it worth even mentioning in essays? I feel like it would be me just making an excuse what do you guys think. Also will it be harder for me to get in RD, since there will be fewer seats left?</p>

7

<p>I think the answer to the original question depends on how competitive your ED choice will be and where your current GPA puts you in the context of your class.
I also think it will be hard to explain this drop in a way that doesn’t sound like an excuse. Do make sure that this semester’s courseload is manageable, and that you stay on top of the work.</p>