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Q:How do you look at grades? Are all four years valued equally?

A: We do look at all four years of your high school record -- overall academic preparation and success is important -- and we prefer to see you perform at a consistently high level. We're especially interested in your junior and senior years, but a strong performance during that time doesn't necessarily erase poor performance the first two years.
-- Ken Huus, Dean of Admissions, Sweet Briar College (Sweet Briar, VA)

A: Good grades in low-level courses or non-college prep courses are not taken as seriously as solid grades in demanding courses such as honors or AP. If you start slow but finish strong, we'll know you turned the corner, but at the same time, the slow start is reflected in your overall GPA and class rank. You can escape your past, but not completely!
-- Gary Craig, Dean of Enrollment, Marietta College (Marietta, OH)

A: The question is not "Did you earn an 'A'?" as much as it is "How much did you challenge your abilities to earn that 'A'?" It's important for you to perform to the best of your ability every year of high school, but many [admissions officials] will consider grade trends from year to year. A strong showing may be the push you need to get that acceptance letter.
-- Michael Lynch, Director of Admissions, Rollins College (Winter Park, FL)

A: We do not view grades as absolutes. We would prefer you take as rigorous a curriculum as possible and not achieve a perfect GPA as opposed to taking a light schedule and achieving a perfect GPA. All four years are not treated equally. In many cases, ninth grade requires some adjustment, the result being a lower average. However, over the next three years we would expect to see increasing grades in increasingly harder courses.
-- George Mills, Vice President for Enrollment, University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA)


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Jennifer Merritt is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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