Hey, I'm currently a junior and I'm worried that my not-so-great grades from freshman year might hurt my college chances. Do colleges really look at freshman year grades when making admission decisions? Has anyone else experienced a similar situation? Any advice would be appreciated!
It's understandable that you're concerned about the impact of your freshman year grades on your college admissions prospects. Most colleges do review transcripts in their entirety, including freshman year. However, they also consider the trajectory of your academic performance. A common pattern they see is students improving over time, which is generally viewed favorably.
If your recent grades show improvement, it demonstrates resilience and a growing ability to handle challenging coursework — qualities that admissions officers look for. Additionally, if there were extenuating circumstances that impacted your grades, you'll have the opportunity to explain this in your college applications. For example, I had a student who faced health issues during their freshman year which affected their grades. They addressed this in their applications and still got into several competitive schools due to the upward trend in their subsequent grades.
Stay focused on maintaining strong grades now and engaging in activities that interest you, as these will also be important aspects of your application.
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