I have a really good SSAT score (99th percentile) but I don’t have straight A’s this semester at the LPHS. I just moved this school year from California to a suburb of NYC with a very good public school. We don’t have a portal to check our grades and so I had no idea if the effort I was putting in would get me all A’s (it didn’t). I stepped up my game this quarter and I have been getting better scores on assignments.
I am applying to Choate and 2 NYC day schools. I know, I could “expand my net” and apply to not as competitive schools, but I already attend a top-tier public school so I have a fallback plan.
My question is, will the schools see that I am trying my hardest and the first quarter was an adjustment period for me? And will last quarter’s grades strongly affect my admission decisions?
Thanks!
Every school has its own way of evaluation applicants. No one piece of your application will negate another. So relax. If you don’t get in, that’s probably not going to be why.
I would not, however, blame your grades on a lack of portal! Were you not taking tests? Writing papers? Handing in homework? One of the critical skills a student needs, particularly in a rigorous environment, is the ability to figure out when they are “getting it”, and when they need to step up their game or get help. This is a skill students develop throughout their learning lives, but it will be key to your success at these kinds of schools.
It’s hardly the end of the world, but you need to give some thought as to how you can do that better. Figure out how you can test your mastery of material before the assessment rather than using the assessment to show you what you don’t know. (Easier said than done! )
@gardenstategal Thanks! I’ll try to do that.
Also, what I meant about having no portal was that some classes I got better grades than I thought and some classes worse.
@ilovechoateeeee , if your grades improve, send a note to your AO with them with a brief note saying you wanted to share these now that you have a better idea of expectations at your new school. And to your credit, you have already shown you can make a transition! Moving can be tough in so many ways, so kudos to you for not losing a beat.
@gardenstategal Thank you, that means a lot to me! I’ll send them the note, and I was also planning on emailing them Happy Holidays and giving them an update on everything.
Not having straight As might mean that you have a B+ or two. If so, then not a significant factor. But, if you have Cs, then an explanation might be warranted.
