Do colleges care about 9th grade?

Hey everyone, I'm a junior now, and I'm wondering how much 9th-grade performance matters for college admissions. I definitely didn't do my best in freshman year but have improved a lot since. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Hi! It's great that you've improved since 9th grade. While colleges do consider all four years of high school when evaluating applicants, they tend to focus more on your performance during your sophomore and junior years, as well as the first half of your senior year. This is because those years are generally more rigorous and challenging, and, since they have occurred more recently, they provide a better indication of how ready you currently are for college.

Additionally, many colleges understand that the transition from middle school to high school can be difficult for some students, so they generally give more weight to coursework you completed after getting your feet under you. Demonstrating an upward trend in your academics, as you mentioned, is something admissions officers appreciate and will view favorably.

However, this doesn't mean you should disregard your 9th-grade performance entirely. It will still be a part of your overall high school transcript and can impact your GPA and class rank, which are factors considered during the admissions process. While you don't want to make excuses, if there were legitimate reasons why you didn't do your best freshman year, you might consider writing about them in the "Additional Information" section of the Common App: https://blog.collegevine.com/additional-information-about-commonapps-additional-information-section. Otherwise, just continue focusing on maintaining or improving your grades, involving yourself in meaningful extracurricular activities, and preparing for standardized tests (if required).

Remember, colleges use a holistic approach when reviewing applications. Your overall growth and improvement throughout high school will be considered alongside other factors like extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation. So, keep putting your best foot forward, try not to dwell too much on the past, and good luck!