iambored10

I know graduate schools want transcripts, but do I send them my transcript after my first semester of my senior year? Just confused a little bit.

NYScholar

You will have to submit your transcript twice.

The first time is when you are applying to graduate school usually during your first semester of your senior year.

The second time will be after your grades are posted for you to view or once you receive your degree in the mail from your undergrad institution usually sometime around July.

iambored10

So you have to submit it once with your fresh-junior year grades then your first semester senior grades? Which GPA do grad schools look at in admissions? Senior year first semester?

gsaray

I'm confused too. If we're going to receive a decision in spring, does that mean they won't be looking at our second semester grades?

NYScholar

You simply submit your transcript when you are applying usually during your first semester senior year. The courses and grades that you have taken from freshman to your junior years are what graduate admissions will base their decisions on. Keep in mind that they will be able to see the current courses that you are taking in your first semester senior year.

Once you graduate, you simply have to submit another transcript (a.k.a finally transcript) to those graduate programs in which you were interested in

RacinReaver

Most programs I applied to (other than one which had its deadline in early Demember...because nobody's busy with finals right then ) required transcripts that had your grades from fall semester, senior year on them. Generally whoever handles transcript requests at your school will have an option, after you put the order in, to wait to mail it until after they have grades recorded.

gsaray

But what if my freshman grades are much lower than the grades I will be getting in my senior year? I have a very upward trend and my cumulative GPA is going to increase with my senior grades. Plus in my school, the most important courses are taken in senior year... This doesn't make sense to me.. So would it be a better idea to wait until the end of college, and then apply for spring admissions? Would that increase my chances since I will be sending my application in September with my senior grades (after I graduate)? Also, I believe that my previous research paper will be published in the second semester of senor year. Will it also considerably change my chances?

Any suggestions will help me a lot. I'm very clueless about whether I should apply for fall admissions or spring admissions.... Thank you all!

RacinReaver

If you're applying for a PhD there aren't any spring admissions. Also, even if a paper isn't published yet, if it's in publication/review/etc you can mention that on your application.

polarscribe

Most graduate programs do not admit students in the spring.

You can wait a year and then apply with your full senior year grades able to be considered. Many (perhaps even most) graduate students do not enroll directly after finishing their bachelor's degree.