<p>1) Since most people apply to grad school during their final fall semester as an undergrad, does this mean that the final year is basically meaningless? No, I'm not planning on slacking my final year if the answer is an affirmative (after all, what if I don't get accepted on my first run of applications.) </p>
<p>2) Also with the "last four semesters are most important" rule --- what does this mean for people applying in their final fall semester? That the last four graded semesters are taken into account whereas the first two are not? Is only the junior year focused upon?</p>
<p>3) Do acceptance committees (or whatever nebulous force is responsible for accepting applicants) mark off for a less-than-par semester? For example, if my semester GPAs go something like 3.76, 3.76, 3.9, 3.9, 3.9, 3.6, will this affect me? I know there is no clear answer regarding any GPA question. Just wanted some thoughts from those experienced with the process.</p>
<p>4) For English grad programs, does independent study/assistantship as an undergrad affect the process much? Or is this predominantly a factor in the sciences?</p>
<p>Thanks for any input in advance. Love love.</p>
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Since most people apply to grad school during their final fall semester as an undergrad, does this mean that the final year is basically meaningless?
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Yup. :) They won't ask for updated grades after first semester like undergrad schools will. You do have to graduate, though -- often they'll ask for your final transcript as a condition of enrollment.</p>
<p>Because you'll be applying before your final semester, the transcripts we receive will be incomplete. molliebatmit has it right, though. We will require a final transcript indicating completion of the degree as a condition of enrollment.</p>
<p>The "last four semesters" guideline is adhered to by some programs, and not at all by others. That guideline seems to me to be more relevant to the sciences than to the humanities and social sciences. When it is articulated by a particular program, it only really means that the admission committee will be especially attentive to upper-level courses in your major (presumably also the focus of your graduate work). It also implies that your cumulative GPA matters less than your major GPA, and improvement over time makes a positive impact. (And this is also the case with programs that do not articulate such a guideline.) However, a slightly lower grade (B, for example) in an upper-level course is not the "kiss of death" some students imagine it to be. It reflects the increasing rigor of coursework. Or at least it should.</p>
<p>And for English grad programs, as well as the rest of the humanities and social sciences, independent studies look good. They show that the student is motivated and focused enough to develop a specific area of interest that they convinced a professor was substantial enough to pursue independently. The fact that a professor agreed to supervise a student's independent study also demonstrates that professor's belief in the student's ability to work, well, independently. :) Assistantships, on the other hand, are not usually available at the undergraduate level in the humanities. I don't even know what one would entail in my field, for example.</p>