Freshman Year GPA 3.38

[Anonymous]

Is that a good GPA for Freshman year for a school like UVA,ODU,VIRGINIA TECH, OR MASON?
English 9 B
World History B
Spanish 1 A
Health *pe 9 A
Algebra 1 A-
Econ & Persona fin A-
Biology C+

Right now he GPA for this year is 3.67 for his Sophomore year.

[Anonymous]

Why does it matter? Seriously -- you are way way too involved.

Your kid is an adult. Encourage them to work hard and also find time to enjoy their college experience.

If you want to be helpful -- push them to do things around campus -- go to student productions and concerts, attend visiting lectures, check out a game or two and not just football/basketball.

The one important academic thing I think parents should strongly encourage and maybe even insist upon is that their kid should make an appointment and meet with their academic advisor. It is a good time to discuss potential majors and figure out what classes are needed. It is amazingly easy for kids to miss out on pre-requisite classes and other requirements like observation hours unless they sit down with an advisor and get a written plan. Emphasis on "written" plan. Schools will stand by what their advisors say if it is writing, but the excuse, "my advisor said . . . " will not work unless in writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does it matter? Seriously -- you are way way too involved.

Your kid is an adult. Encourage them to work hard and also find time to enjoy their college experience.

If you want to be helpful -- push them to do things around campus -- go to student productions and concerts, attend visiting lectures, check out a game or two and not just football/basketball.

The one important academic thing I think parents should strongly encourage and maybe even insist upon is that their kid should make an appointment and meet with their academic advisor. It is a good time to discuss potential majors and figure out what classes are needed. It is amazingly easy for kids to miss out on pre-requisite classes and other requirements like observation hours unless they sit down with an advisor and get a written plan. Emphasis on "written" plan. Schools will stand by what their advisors say if it is writing, but the excuse, "my advisor said . . . " will not work unless in writing.

I think OP is saying that this is their child's 9th grade GPA and will they be able to get into those colleges.

[Anonymous]

He can always bag groceries....someone has to do it...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does it matter? Seriously -- you are way way too involved.

Your kid is an adult. Encourage them to work hard and also find time to enjoy their college experience.

If you want to be helpful -- push them to do things around campus -- go to student productions and concerts, attend visiting lectures, check out a game or two and not just football/basketball.

The one important academic thing I think parents should strongly encourage and maybe even insist upon is that their kid should make an appointment and meet with their academic advisor. It is a good time to discuss potential majors and figure out what classes are needed. It is amazingly easy for kids to miss out on pre-requisite classes and other requirements like observation hours unless they sit down with an advisor and get a written plan. Emphasis on "written" plan. Schools will stand by what their advisors say if it is writing, but the excuse, "my advisor said . . . " will not work unless in writing.

Reading is important. Clearly this is about a high school student because 1. It's in the teens and tweens section 2. The kid is in 7 classes, and in classes like health and algebra. That is very obviously a HS class list.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately two of the As are in non core classes so his core GPA is much lower and no where near UVA level. Encourage him to try to bring his grades up - some colleges will look at improvement over the course of high school and discount a bad freshman year.

[Anonymous]

NO.

I had straight As. One B+ my entire 4 years at a Fairfax Co. HS and high SATS. I was a class officer, Varsity athlete in 3 points (with a State Championship Win) and did volunteer work. I was ranked #14 in the entire graduating class.

I was wait-listed/did not get in to William&Mary and UVA.

It is even harder for kids in this area to get into those 2 schools now. Tech is now equivalent to what it took to get into W&M and UVA back then.

VCU and GMU used to be a walk in the cake/fall-back school for everyone...now it's not so easy.

My nephews got into VCU and GMU with averages around there---a bit higher. One had to transfer into Tech later on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He can always bag groceries....someone has to do it...

To take your kids job so they can collect unemployment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He can always bag groceries....someone has to do it...

To take your kids job so they can collect unemployment?

?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He can always bag groceries....someone has to do it...

To take your kids job so they can collect unemployment?

?

It was a lame attempt at a burn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is that a good GPA for Freshman year for a school like UVA,ODU,VIRGINIA TECH, OR MASON?
English 9 B
World History B
Spanish 1 A
Health *pe 9 A
Algebra 1 A-
Econ & Persona fin A-
Biology C+

Right now he GPA for this year is 3.67 for his Sophomore year.

Its not great. I'd worry about the C in Biology. Can he/she retake it? Its obvious that he/she missed some info somewhere. I'd not worry so much about getting into those specific schools as insuring that my child has a good knowledge base before leaving HS. You can get a good education at a lower ranked (less competitive) school and even become employed afterwards. Work ethic is more important than the name on the diploma after your first couple of jobs anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately two of the As are in non core classes so his core GPA is much lower and no where near UVA level. Encourage him to try to bring his grades up - some colleges will look at improvement over the course of high school and discount a bad freshman year.

+1. And I'd bet the core grades are even worse than they appear if you remove bullshit busywork and isolate the test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it matter? Seriously -- you are way way too involved.

Your kid is an adult. Encourage them to work hard and also find time to enjoy their college experience.

If you want to be helpful -- push them to do things around campus -- go to student productions and concerts, attend visiting lectures, check out a game or two and not just football/basketball.

The one important academic thing I think parents should strongly encourage and maybe even insist upon is that their kid should make an appointment and meet with their academic advisor. It is a good time to discuss potential majors and figure out what classes are needed. It is amazingly easy for kids to miss out on pre-requisite classes and other requirements like observation hours unless they sit down with an advisor and get a written plan. Emphasis on "written" plan. Schools will stand by what their advisors say if it is writing, but the excuse, "my advisor said . . . " will not work unless in writing.

Reading is important. Clearly this is about a high school student because 1. It's in the teens and tweens section 2. The kid is in 7 classes, and in classes like health and algebra. That is very obviously a HS class list.

[Anonymous]

Maybe JMU or ODU at the high end. VT is a reach. Don't waste the money on UVA. Heck, for my DD, with her current 4.11 GPA, I am not sure if UVA is a possibility, and she is taking harder classes.

Hers are: Pre HS
Alg. I honors: A-
Geom. Honors: B+

HS:
Alg II Honors: B+
Band: A
Latin I: A
PE: A
English 9 Honors: A-
Biology Honors: A
World History Honors: A

Soph. Year (so far)
Band: A
Latin II: A
AP World History: A
Pre Calc: A-
Chem Honors: A
English 9 Honors: A
PE: A

So, if she keeps this up, she will have a 4.15. And her PSAT score are 1310. And that may not be good enough for UVA or W & M. Va Tech yes. JMU will be her safe school probably.

[Anonymous]

OMG - someone actually posting her kid's grades to show that hers are higher than the OP's? Please get a life.

As for you, OP: My son had an awful freshman year. I was told by many that schools know this happens a lot to Freshman. Cal schools don't even look at the Freshman year grades. Your child is definitely heading in the right direction, and there are good schools that will take your kid. He just needs to make sure the trend continues.

Please remember that a lot of people posting here are loony tunes.