Importance of 9th grade for colleges

[Anonymous]

I'm sure there is a thread somewhere related to 9th grade grades and if colleges actually take them into consideration. But do they carry any weight in the application process?

[Anonymous]

Of course -- grades in 9th grade count toward a student's overall GPA.

[Anonymous]

What's your kid doing, OP?

[Anonymous]

Everything I have heard says that schools focus on the trend. If your kids has been a 4.0 throughout, then great., but if your kid ends up as a 4.0 during senior year from a lower GPA, then that is seen as a positive, although not as positive at the 4.0 throughout. So to answer your question, 9th grade matters but in the context of the entire picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everything I have heard says that schools focus on the trend. If your kids has been a 4.0 throughout, then great., but if your kid ends up as a 4.0 during senior year from a lower GPA, then that is seen as a positive, although not as positive at the 4.0 throughout. So to answer your question, 9th grade matters but in the context of the entire picture.

This is correct. Overall GPA matters, but so does the trend. A college is going to be impressed by a kid with a 3.2 GPA freshman year who steadily climbs to a 4.0 by junior year. However, if we are talking HYP and the like they have their pick of kids and could fill their classes 10 times over with kids with near perfect high school GPAs.

[Anonymous]

hell, even 8th grade counts these days.

[Anonymous]

Re: 07:59, no, 8th grade doesn't count as far as colleges are concerned (HS admission is another thing). I've had 3 kids go to college, and all apps, including the Common App, only permit grade & extracurricular information from 9th-12th.

Yes, 9th grade does count; in fact, grades from that year end up being 1/3 of the GPA reported to colleges when it comes time to apply, because many apps (priority, early decision, etc.) are due before the end of the 1st quarter of 12th grade. Usually you're only submitting the cumulative GPA from 9th, 10th and 11th grades.

9th grade is also important as far as prereqs for setting up the rest of the path through HS. Be sure to plot out what the entire four years look like to make sure that your child will have room in his/her schedule, and the time and opportunity, to take what he/she wants/needs. For instance, if child wants to take Calculus senior year, the mathematics path needs to be directed that way.

[Anonymous]

If your child is an athlete in a sport that tends to recruit early, then the 9th grade marks are of importance. If there is a high level of performance in 9th grade, then the student-athlete may be able to get an early commitment that a student with spotty grades in freshman year would not get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is an athlete in a sport that tends to recruit early, then the 9th grade marks are of importance. If there is a high level of performance in 9th grade, then the student-athlete may be able to get an early commitment that a student with spotty grades in freshman year would not get.

Although sports recruitment is heavily favored, what other extracurriculars are recruitment heavy hitters?

[Anonymous]

8th grade Choice of courses may indeed "count" in that they build the foundation for what the student is allowed to take in 9th and beyond. Thinking specifically of sequenced subjects like math and foreign language. You have to be on track to take the AP calc that will impress admissions committees -- and that track begins in middle school.

I do agree that your 8th grade math grades aren't a factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re: 07:59, no, 8th grade doesn't count as far as colleges are concerned (HS admission is another thing). I've had 3 kids go to college, and all apps, including the Common App, only permit grade & extracurricular information from 9th-12th.

Yes, 9th grade does count; in fact, grades from that year end up being 1/3 of the GPA reported to colleges when it comes time to apply, because many apps (priority, early decision, etc.) are due before the end of the 1st quarter of 12th grade. Usually you're only submitting the cumulative GPA from 9th, 10th and 11th grades.

9th grade is also important as far as prereqs for setting up the rest of the path through HS. Be sure to plot out what the entire four years look like to make sure that your child will have room in his/her schedule, and the time and opportunity, to take what he/she wants/needs. For instance, if child wants to take Calculus senior year, the mathematics path needs to be directed that way.

your 8th grade math score goes on your permanent record in FCPS.
Also your foreign language grade
you could start off with a couple of C's in high school if not careful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: 07:59, no, 8th grade doesn't count as far as colleges are concerned (HS admission is another thing). I've had 3 kids go to college, and all apps, including the Common App, only permit grade & extracurricular information from 9th-12th.

Yes, 9th grade does count; in fact, grades from that year end up being 1/3 of the GPA reported to colleges when it comes time to apply, because many apps (priority, early decision, etc.) are due before the end of the 1st quarter of 12th grade. Usually you're only submitting the cumulative GPA from 9th, 10th and 11th grades.

9th grade is also important as far as prereqs for setting up the rest of the path through HS. Be sure to plot out what the entire four years look like to make sure that your child will have room in his/her schedule, and the time and opportunity, to take what he/she wants/needs. For instance, if child wants to take Calculus senior year, the mathematics path needs to be directed that way.

your 8th grade math score goes on your permanent record in FCPS.
Also your foreign language grade
you could start off with a couple of C's in high school if not careful.

Are you saying that a C in 9th grade is a college deal breaker? My niece had two Cs in 9th grade and started Princeton this fall. Not maintaining a perfect GPA is not a deal breaker for college entrance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: 07:59, no, 8th grade doesn't count as far as colleges are concerned (HS admission is another thing). I've had 3 kids go to college, and all apps, including the Common App, only permit grade & extracurricular information from 9th-12th.

Yes, 9th grade does count; in fact, grades from that year end up being 1/3 of the GPA reported to colleges when it comes time to apply, because many apps (priority, early decision, etc.) are due before the end of the 1st quarter of 12th grade. Usually you're only submitting the cumulative GPA from 9th, 10th and 11th grades.

9th grade is also important as far as prereqs for setting up the rest of the path through HS. Be sure to plot out what the entire four years look like to make sure that your child will have room in his/her schedule, and the time and opportunity, to take what he/she wants/needs. For instance, if child wants to take Calculus senior year, the mathematics path needs to be directed that way.

your 8th grade math score goes on your permanent record in FCPS.
Also your foreign language grade
you could start off with a couple of C's in high school if not careful.

Are you saying that a C in 9th grade is a college deal breaker? My niece had two Cs in 9th grade and started Princeton this fall. Not maintaining a perfect GPA is not a deal breaker for college entrance.

no, no, of course not! Like everyone above has said, the colleges look for steady progress, so maybe if you're going to get C's it's best to do it early on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: 07:59, no, 8th grade doesn't count as far as colleges are concerned (HS admission is another thing). I've had 3 kids go to college, and all apps, including the Common App, only permit grade & extracurricular information from 9th-12th.

Yes, 9th grade does count; in fact, grades from that year end up being 1/3 of the GPA reported to colleges when it comes time to apply, because many apps (priority, early decision, etc.) are due before the end of the 1st quarter of 12th grade. Usually you're only submitting the cumulative GPA from 9th, 10th and 11th grades.

9th grade is also important as far as prereqs for setting up the rest of the path through HS. Be sure to plot out what the entire four years look like to make sure that your child will have room in his/her schedule, and the time and opportunity, to take what he/she wants/needs. For instance, if child wants to take Calculus senior year, the mathematics path needs to be directed that way.

your 8th grade math score goes on your permanent record in FCPS.
Also your foreign language grade
you could start off with a couple of C's in high school if not careful.

Are you saying that a C in 9th grade is a college deal breaker? My niece had two Cs in 9th grade and started Princeton this fall. Not maintaining a perfect GPA is not a deal breaker for college entrance.

Interesting. What was her hook? Sports? Legacy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re: 07:59, no, 8th grade doesn't count as far as colleges are concerned (HS admission is another thing). I've had 3 kids go to college, and all apps, including the Common App, only permit grade & extracurricular information from 9th-12th.

Yes, 9th grade does count; in fact, grades from that year end up being 1/3 of the GPA reported to colleges when it comes time to apply, because many apps (priority, early decision, etc.) are due before the end of the 1st quarter of 12th grade. Usually you're only submitting the cumulative GPA from 9th, 10th and 11th grades.

9th grade is also important as far as prereqs for setting up the rest of the path through HS. Be sure to plot out what the entire four years look like to make sure that your child will have room in his/her schedule, and the time and opportunity, to take what he/she wants/needs. For instance, if child wants to take Calculus senior year, the mathematics path needs to be directed that way.

your 8th grade math score goes on your permanent record in FCPS.
Also your foreign language grade
you could start off with a couple of C's in high school if not careful.

I understand that you can "expunge" the Fairfax County 8th grade math and language scores fromt the high school record. We are facing this decision now. Has anyone done this for a B- ? What would be the downsides? Thanks