Do colleges see senior year grades for Early Decision applicants?

Hi, I'm stressing out a bit about the college application process. If I apply for Early Decision somewhere, do colleges even see my senior year grades? I want to make sure I don't slack off senior year, but I'm also curious about how much weight those grades might have in the admissions process. Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi there! I completely understand your concern about how your senior year grades factor into the Early Decision process. Colleges typically do look at your senior year grades, even if you apply Early Decision.

Although your official transcript will usually only include your grades up to the end of junior year, most colleges will request a first-quarter grade report as well. If you are deferred, they will also ask for a first-semester, or 'mid-year' report, which will also go to any schools you apply to regular decision.

These grades can definitely significantly impact your admissions decision, especially at more selective schools. Even though you may have had only one or two major assignments before you apply Early Decision, by the time you reach senior year colleges will want to see a consistently high level of academic achievement. Ideally, this quarterly report will contain grades that are similar to those you earned junior year, or potentially even demonstrate an upward trend.

On the other hand, a significant dip could worry admissions committees, as that could suggest you aren't fully committed to your studies. Colleges want to accept students who truly love learning and are ready for the challenges of college-level work. Doing well in your first quarter of senior year gives them confidence you're not falling prey to senioritis, and will be ready to hit the ground running once you arrive on campus.

Finally, the college you end up enrolling at will ask for your final grades, but that end-of-year report is highly unlikely to change their minds about accepting you. If there is a precipitous drop in your performance (going from A's and B's to C's and D's, for example, or earning a failing grade), that can lead to your offer of admission being rescinded, but so long as you stay in the same general ballpark (earning a couple of B's if you're usually a straight-A student, for example), that report is just a formality.

On a slightly different note, while grades are of course an essential part of your college application, there are other factors that can make a major difference too. If you want to know how your application as a whole stacks up at a particular school, I'd check out CollegeVine's free chancing engine, which accounts for all quantifiable elements of your application, including not just GPA, but also course rigor, test scores (if you have them), and extracurriculars to give you personalized odds of acceptance at over 1,600 colleges around the country.

You can access the engine here: https://www.collegevine.com/admissions-calculator/. This tool will also give you suggestions on how to improve your chances, whether by raising your GPA slightly during your senior year or some other step, like earning a leadership position in one of your extracurriculars.

Best of luck with your Early Decision application!