How do colleges weigh mid-term grades into their decision making process? Are they looking for a maintenance or upturn (if possible) of grades. Are they looking for a reason to accept or a reason to deny?
If a student is an A/A minus student and has a few Bs is this a bad thing? This question is more related to LACs and not Ivies. How often would a midterm report change the minds of admissions officers?
I think it would depend on the school. But most schools are looking for upward trends, especially competitive ones.
I would guess if it came down to two equal candidates…one with an upward trend, and one with a downward one, the upward trend kiddo would win. But I’m guessing.
@Mom24boys - Are you talking about midterm exam grades or midyear grades?
@preamble1776 Sorry, midyear grades, which in this case would be 2 quarter grades and mid-term test grades listed separately.
@thumper1 The problem is an A student can only stay the same or go down. When schools get transcripts an A as final grade is the same whether the student had 4 quarters of As or 2 quarters As, 2 quarters Bs and an A and a B on midterms and finals (which would also be a final A at son’s school.)
Students who are applying regular decision…the colleges request the midterm transcript. And yes, they are going to look at the grades senior year. Will they look at those relative to previous years? My guess is the more competitive LACs DO look at the difference. If a student’s grades go down from mostly A grades to mostly B grades,mthat will not place the student as strongly as a student who maintains A grades.
At the competitive LACs there are plenty of kids with very fine grades…A averages…who maintain those grades.
Will all Bs mean your kiddo won’t get accepted to college? Well…no, it’s not that drastic. Many B kids get accepted to college.
But you have to admit…if two equal students are being considered…which one should,the college weigh higher? The one who has maintained the A average or the one who had dipped? Or,the one who had a B average and has now gotten A grades in all of the senior courses?
I would think that bar extreme grade drops, a few B’s that would have been A’s might not be as damaging as you might fear - senior year (the first two quarters) are usually the most hectic within one’s high school career. Not only are students likely taking the heaviest course load (with the most APs) but they’re probably also balancing officer positions in extracurricular activities, SAT/ACT retakes, and the all-might Common App looming over them. I think that if your student is on the border (median scores, etc), it might have negative ramifications but if your student had a good shot of getting admitted prior to the midyear transcript, a few B’s probably won’t knock them out of the running.
Son will mostly have As, he had all As first quarter. Second quarter just ended, he will have at least 5 As, the possibility of two Bs, one of of which was .06 away from an A. He also insisted on taking 7 APs, so his weighted GPA will still be high.
I agree if a student goes from being an A student to a B student that would and should be noticed. I just don’t want him to think all hope of getting into his remaining schools is lost due to 2 Bs. He already has 3 acceptances and would be happy to attend 2 of them so I know he will be fine. I am curious how much of a factor midterm reports are in the process.
One or two B grades shouldn’t make or break his applications if he was in the range for acceptance prior to the end of the first term.
And really…it depends on the school, and the applicant pool…and there is no way to predict that anyway!
I am just another parent in the waiting stage looking for that crystal ball. All will be clear in a few short months, so I will try to regain some patience and love and enjoy the kid on the couch.
Senior midterm grades are the last grades adcom will see. They more often not look at it as a good indicator how a student will most likely do in college. I hate to be a Suzy downer, for competitive schools, senior midterm grades are important. That’s why students with lackluster freshman grades wait to apply RD to show another semester upward trend.
My nephew didn’t have an opportunit to take AP courses until senior year due to his mid high school transfer. His college counselor told him that he had to ace all of those AP courses to show adcoms he could do college level courses.
If a student were to get a B in differential equations or some other high level course, I don’t think adcoms are going to care as much, but if it is a lot of Bs in the core curriculum then I think it would be viewed negatively. Senior year is a tough year, but it is tough for everyone.