how much do midyears matter?

Colleges & Universities University of Chicago
1

<p>i’ve done pretty solidly for the past 3 years but i think my 1st semester senior grades are slipping from my usual standard. its not that i’m not trying, i am, and i’m not pulling anything close to c’s, but its hard to be excited about ap physics c: e+m and ap chem when i have no desire to do anything relating to science for my major. i’m doing very well in my ap english class, as i always have done in english. </p>

<p>so does uchicago heavily weigh midyear reports? i don’t want them to think i’m slacking because i most definitely have not. i’m not even taking these classes for the challenge of it, i’m taking it to fulfill an obligation to my magnet program. would a letter explaining this help?</p>

<p>current stats:
WGPA:4.3
UWGPA:3.9
rank: somewhere in top 10 of like 600
ACT: 32
SAT2: 800, 760, 750
i liked my essay and my letters of rec were pretty good (my teachers gave them to me to proofread)
already admitted to university of michigan</p>

<p>thanx!</p>

2

<p>So you haven’t been admitted - Then they would matter if they convey a downward trend.</p>

<p>Your stats are pretty good, however.</p>

3

<p>Don’t even worry about it. Everything looks fine, and you’re grades are better than mine. (I was accepted EA.) However I wouldn’t tell them that you aren’t taking those classes for the challenge. You’d probably rather have them believe that you’re taking them to challenge yourself.</p>

4

<p>how about if we were accepted EA and our grades go down a little bit in our midyear reports? i’m sort of worried because i got an A in history first trimester and now i think i might be getting a B+…i’m not slacking, but i’m just not doing quite as well as i was before…</p>

5

<p>According to Libby either on the Uncommon Blog or on this forum, if you’ve been admitted, the midyear won’t matter much at all.</p>

6

<p>

This is probably the worst thing you could possibly say. </p>

<p>Having said that, if your grades are only a little lower than normal due to a tough schedule, it shouldn’t have much effect. If there is a more significant drop, then it’s a different matter.</p>

7

<p>As to midyear grades of admitted students, from Ted O’Neill’s class of 2009 speech:

</p>

8

<p>corranged, what would u consider a significant drop? my weighted gpa shouldn’t change at all but i think my unwieghted will. i don’t imagine my rank will drop much either. i’m looking @ the possibility of 2 B+'s and 1 B which terrifies me. as for classes, yeah it is challenging but i’m not taking it as a fun challenge to prove to myself that i can do it but more like i have to take it to graduate a member of the magnet program. i don’t mean to explain that i hate ap phys but more to say “i’m sorry for the drop in grades. i realize there are no excuses and i’m not giving any. i take full responsibility for my actions but please know that science is not my passion. it’s never been my calling and i hope that you’ll realize i want to come to your school to study political science and economics things that i, and the university of chicago excel (well duh, i’m sure they know that) at.”</p>

9

<p>Don’t write that or any letter. I don’t think your grades will make a large difference, but I, of course, do not work in the admissions office. It really depends on your personal file.</p>

10

<p>Yes, don’t write that letter. If you have something happy to report, include that in the additional information part of the midyears.</p>

11

<p>that’s the thing tho, i DON"T have anything happy to report other than i’m glad the semesters over and college is taht much closer.</p>