Value of the "upward trend"...

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm wondering what the actual value of the upward trend is. This discussion relates mainly to the top schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, rest of Ivy league, Chicago,etc.) </p>

<p>How much do those schools value this trend?
What does it show about the student? (I'm guessing that they will continue working harder in college.)</p>

<p>Scenario (all unweighted):
Freshman year GPA: 3.50
Sophomore year GPA: 3.70
Junior year GPA: 3.90
Senior year GPA: 4.00</p>

<p>Cumulative GPA: 3.8</p>

<p>If there are two students being compared. Both have cumulative GPAs of 3.8 but one student have that upper trend (refer to scenario above), who are colleges more likely to take?</p>

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<p>Upward trend, I would think. But they’d also look at test scores, ECs, essays, recs…</p>

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<p>Upward trend because it shows more “maturity” if you understand what I mean.</p>

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<p>Yea, I understand what you mean by maturity.</p>

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<p>TMP, they will take the consistently high-achieving student over the upward trend student, especially at a high level (e.g. 4.0). But if a 3.8 GPA is not hard to get, the upward trend student might have an advantage.</p>

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<p>Someone who has a consistent high GPA will be favored over someone who is making an upward trend towards one.</p>

<p>Upward trend is only better than no trend or downward trend.</p>

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<p>It seems we have conflicting answers on this thread…</p>

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<p>lolcats, being consistent is having “no trend”</p>

<p>and on your logic, you’re saying that an upward trend is the best thing to have</p>

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<p>Upward trend only if accompanied by stellar SAT, AP, and other test scores that suggest high intellect (or great testing ability-let’s not have the SAT debate/discussion here) along with a good reason for the bad grades in the earlier years. I think colleges like those high test scores, though they keep saying that grades are more important. All you can do is apply and make them believe you would be an asset to their university. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Two students with a 3.8 gpa would not be compared in the way you suggest. The schools want to assemble a diverse class of excellent students who will contribute in many different ways. Assuming the stellar test scores suggested by bessie, admissions committees would then look for different passions, for some students who are leaders, some students who are joiners (those leaders need someone to lead), athletes, musicians, poets, mathematicians, liberals, conservatives, etc… </p>

<p>They will not disregard all those other factors and simply say “Based on the 0.1 difference in gpa Junior year, we are accepting the one with the ____ trend”</p>

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<p>Agree with alamemom.</p>

<p>I can’t imagine there being a situation where they compare two 3.8 students in the manner you have proposed. Rather, they look at students individually.</p>

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<p>I would definitely agree that there is much more to the college admissions process than just GPA, I was just posing a hypothetical situation in which only grades where the determining factor.</p>

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<p>upward trend would be better off in that situation.</p>