Grades Junior year

[Anonymous]

I have heard a lot about colleges looking at improvement trends, but what if you start high and then decline a bit as the classes get more challenging? My child had a strong GPA Freshman year, even better sophomore, but things are seeming harder this year (first AP class, harder math and science) and she's not doing as well as last year. Still strong (A-/B++ range) but just curious about what others think of this trend...

[Anonymous]

Not good. Trend matters. Better get it back in gear quick.

[Anonymous]

She needs to turn it around. The pattern they consider promising is when the 9th and 10th grade GPA is so-so but really picks up in 11th and 12th - it shows the promise of a hard working college student able to handle the material, apparently.

[Anonymous]

OP - it really depends on the competitiveness of the college. Completely depends on this.

[Anonymous]

An upward trend is good, as is a straight line that shows you can hold your own as the rigor goes up. If grades are dipping, it’s best to adjust your course load.

[Anonymous]

We worried about this too. My child’s Grades suffered a bit when she hit AP calc (as a junior). We weren’t aiming for top 20 or anything, and it seemed to be fine. The strong early grades sort of diluted the impact on the GPA

[Anonymous]

I am a little skeptical of the upward trend benefit. Isn't your GPA your GPA?

[Anonymous]

Well, the GPA this year is who she is. If she's a B+ student she will go to a B+ program.

[Anonymous]

This is OP...it’s more like she was an A- student freshman year, solid A sophomore and will be back down to A- if she can’t get up her tougher classes. I was just wondering if it even matters if the GPA fluctuates less than 0.5 points over this time. I mean the classes are much harder!!

And we aren’t aiming for top 20

[Anonymous]

This is OP...it’s more like she was an A- student freshman year, solid A sophomore and will be back down to A- if she can’t get up her tougher classes. I was just wondering if it even matters if the GPA fluctuates less than 0.5 points over this time. I mean the classes are much harder!!

And we aren’t aiming for top 20

It won't matter. Please don't tell your hardworking A/A- student that she needs to "turn it around" or "get it back in gear quick." If she has more weighted classes, her GPA for the year may still be higher than last year (if you're in a district that puts weighted GPAs only on the transcript).

My senior had a couple of B/B+ grades freshman year, all As and A- sophomore, and one B and one B+ junior year. He had two honors courses in 10th, and took 4 honors and 2 APs in 11th. I'll report back if he is shut out of colleges based on this disturbing pattern. DCUMers like to pretend that it's the norm for kids to graduate with all As and 12 AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This is OP...it’s more like she was an A- student freshman year, solid A sophomore and will be back down to A- if she can’t get up her tougher classes. I was just wondering if it even matters if the GPA fluctuates less than 0.5 points over this time. I mean the classes are much harder!!

And we aren’t aiming for top 20

It won't matter. Please don't tell your hardworking A/A- student that she needs to "turn it around" or "get it back in gear quick." If she has more weighted classes, her GPA for the year may still be higher than last year (if you're in a district that puts weighted GPAs only on the transcript).

My senior had a couple of B/B+ grades freshman year, all As and A- sophomore, and one B and one B+ junior year. He had two honors courses in 10th, and took 4 honors and 2 APs in 11th. I'll report back if he is shut out of colleges based on this disturbing pattern. DCUMers like to pretend that it's the norm for kids to graduate with all As and 12 AP classes.

So you have no experience but you know. Gotcha. OP, listen to dummies like this at your peril.

[Anonymous]

DP. OP, you will be better off getting advice from high school counselor than from DCUM posters. That said, since it is barely the end of the first marking period, your DC has ample time to work hard, learn well, and show improved performance. Plus there is senior year to show good performance. Good luck to your DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP. OP, you will be better off getting advice from high school counselor than from DCUM posters. That said, since it is barely the end of the first marking period, your DC has ample time to work hard, learn well, and show improved performance. Plus there is senior year to show good performance. Good luck to your DC.

You just gave advice on DCUM. Should OP follow it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a little skeptical of the upward trend benefit. Isn't your GPA your GPA?

Some schools don't count Freshmen grades at all.

My son had a serious upper trend and he got into the kinds of school reflected by his sophomore and junior grades plus test scores. Mostly his merit aid was based on straight GPA, which affected where he wound up.

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen any actual or anecdotal evidence that going from an A- to an A to an A- is really considered a "downward trend." This "pattern" will also result in a stronger GPA compared to a kid who messes up freshman year and brings those grades up to the A/A- level. Even with holistic admissions, the cumulative GPA and test scores are weighted heavily.

Outside of the tippy top schools, it seems unlikely that an admissions officer is going to look at a transcript with mostly As and the occasional B+ and think "Wow, this kid really screwed up!"