Hey, so I was wondering if quarter grades are important when it comes to college applications. Do colleges really pay attention to them, or do they mostly focus on semester grades? Thanks in advance!
While colleges place more emphasis on semester and final grades, quarter grades can still play a role in the admissions process. Quarter grades can serve as an indicator of academic trends, revealing improvements or declines in a student's performance throughout the academic year. Additionally, if you apply for Early Decision or Early Action, many colleges request your first quarter grades from senior year to provide them with the most recent snapshot of your academic progress.
That being said, admissions officers understand that students may have fluctuations in performance throughout the year. Semester and cumulative GPAs tend to carry more weight since they better reflect your overall academic achievements.
In conclusion, while quarter grades are typically not the main focus of college admissions, they can still be factored into the evaluation process, and are especially important if you're applying early anywhere. I hope this helps!
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.