<p>Im wondering… Does it look bad on your transcript if your grades fall as you take more harder classes? I mean in 9th grade i only took 5 classes, tennis, piano, no volunteer work, and some other in school extras (math team…etc), and my weighted average was higher than my tenth grade average by 1.4 point. But in tenth grade i took 8 classes (1 being AP), joined the crew (rowing) team, volunteered at the redcross, continued piano lessons, and was still a part of my school extras. Do the extras and the number of classes balance each other out? I know colleges like to see an improvement in grades, but do they also take into account the number of classes, and how harder the classes get? Im taking 4 ap’s next year (junior), doubling up on sciences, and still will continue everything in 10th grade… so is it ok if my grades fall a little bit more?</p>
<p>No, because that signals that you can’t handle the pressure.</p>
<p>^ harsh! Well, I’m a teen, too but I’ve gone to all those info sessions. I would let it “fall” from like an A to a B, or like 5 points in an average. But like 99 to a 97? I don’t think it matters much</p>
<p>i know these board provide a compelling opportunity to post questions about things you are insecure about in your application process, but the answers you get on a topic like this are more likely to be misleading than anything.</p>
<p>no one really knows what goes on inside an admissions office, or how they evaluate applicants. also, when looking at acceptance trends on this board, it is quite clear that, additionally, different schools have different processes.</p>
<p>the only real way to think about it is to use common sense, your guess is as good as anyone else’s</p>
<p>i know this type of answer doesn’t help very much and isn’t what you are looking for, but in actuality it may be the best one.</p>
<p>different schools will consider different parts of your application, present the best total application you can and apply to a wide range of schools for best effect.</p>