straigt-As or continuously increasing grades // which is better?

College Search & Lists
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<p>I’ve been surfing around and couldn’t find anything related to this (yet…).
Anyway, my concern is, which student will impress the college better: a student w/ straight-As from freshman till junior or a student who has significantly and continuously raised his/her grade since freshman till junior?</p>

<p>I’ve actually seen a lot of former cases(straight-As) being rejected but a lot of latter cases(steady increasing grades) getting accepted. </p>

<p>Any suggestions…?</p>

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<p>One answer: Straight As! However, increasing GPA is good, just not as good as having straight As.</p>

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<p>Too many variables unaccounted for.</p>

<p>Consistently good grades > increasing grades > mediocre, non-increasing grades</p>

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<p>I’ve been interested in that question and have asked a variation of that. While the usual answer is straight As, I am not so sure. </p>

<p>Also, in my DD’s school, it is much easier to get A and A+ grades in freshman year while in later years the grades tend to drift downwards. The teachers are just tougher in the later grades, i.e, fewer A’s are awarded overall in junior year than in freshman year. So even if you are consistently at the top of your class you can end up with a “pseudo-downward” trend. Sucks for those who have worked hard in freshman year.</p>

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<p>vicariousparent, that seems to be exactly my case. Although I had straight A’s my freshman year, I ended up getting 7 A’s and 7 B’s my junior year, and I’m still ranked in the top 4% of my class.</p>

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<p>^^my problem as well</p>

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<p>straight As…how is this a question?</p>

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<p>straight As with an upward trend.</p>

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<p>That’s how it is in my school. The teachers get worse and a lot harder.</p>

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<p>thanx guys =)</p>

11

<p>yup, the psuedo gpa depreciation occurs at my school as well. strangely, i’ve gotten my best grades starting first sem of junior year</p>

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<p>I actually have averaged about the same unweighted GPA just about every quarter give or take, 6 A’s, one B. But I’ve been rising in the actual percentile rankings because I keep this trend even when more and more weighted classes become available as you move up in years. my GPA hasn’t changed a lot, but my rank sure has.</p>

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<p>To paraphrase the admissions officers at Harvard: Straight "A"s AND continuously increasing grades – easily quantifiable if you attend a school that grades on the 100 point scale. </p>

<p>If that’s not possible straight As is preferable.</p>