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3 years ago
Admissions Advice

My 11 grade marks are low. Other three years it is above 90%. Will this affect my application?
Answered

My child is a gap year student. He has applied this year for undergraduate in engineering. His 11 grade marks are low -64%. He has 94 5 marks in the other three years. Will this affect his application? Will the admission committee view this dip adversely? Or will they take into account the fact that he has done well in the other three years?

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Let’s welcome @Devt to the community! Remember to be kind, helpful, and supportive in your responses.
@VeggieDance3 years ago

What's a minus -64% grade average? You mean he had a D average in 11th grade. So his GPA is like 86% then? And he's not in school now? If he hasn't done anything academically since last May/June, how is he making up for lost ground on his transcript? And how can he show engineering schools he is ripe for the challenge? That's what they would want to know.

[🎤 AUTHOR]@Devt3 years ago

He has 64% (not- 64%)in grade 11. He has used his time on two research projects. We have mentioned this in the application

@VeggieDance3 years ago

Thanks, that's great. Did he submit test scores?

[🎤 AUTHOR]@Devt3 years ago

Yes he did. He got 1550 SAT. Subject tests Physics:800 Math level 2:800, Chemistry:770

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3 answers

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Accepted Answer
3 years ago

11th grade overall is very important. Any and every college puts a lot of emphasis on your junior year (11th) of high school the most, as it is the most important of the three years (no college likes a downward grade trend). If your child averages a 64%... geez. If you look at the college board GPA based on percentages- (https://pages.collegeboard.org/how-to-convert-gpa-4.0-scale)- the GPA is 1.0 [at the highest]. Now, if I am being frank with you, the research projects your child was busy with during his junior year- he better have published a paper on that research and had to have been a 1st author on that paper. A 64% average, you really have to try and get, if he would have done minimal work he could have easily gotten a 2.0 GPA or a 74% average that year.

When he applies to college make sure that whatever that college considers OPTIONAL, make them mandatory for him. His SAT is great, but again this year a lot of colleges are test-optional/blind and that is simply a score that you get after taking a 3 1/2 hr test (I know not everyone is able to)- his entire junior year is much more important than the score you mentioned in your comments. A college looking at the first few years of his schooling will be satisfied (unless he took all easy courses), but when they look at his junior they will have multiple doubts in the capabilities of the student. If his average GPA was 64%, I would really hope all his courses are AP and CIS. If all his courses have been advanced, this could make up for the slip in junior year. The gap year that he took better be for a good reason, and he should have been productive during that time (just an opinion as colleges like that more than a simple gap year). It all depends on where he is applies, if he doesn't get a good school then you always have 2 years of CC and then off to a university.

These are all of my opinions as I am applying for Engineering as well, I hope your son gets into a good school and Good Luck!

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3 years ago[edited]

There is a section on the common app that can allow him to explain his low marks for his 11th grade (additional information). Colleges will know something is up if his grade dipped to such a low level. Yes, they will view this negatively in my opinion because it is 1/4 of his high school career but if you provide sufficient reasoning, they have no reason to doubt that your student is capable of handling undergraduate engineering.

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3 years ago

Can you explain your child's situation in more detail, please?

Are you saying that he is not in high school currently on a gap year?

Or he is in High School? Or did he graduate already?

So are his grade like this:

9th, 10th and 12th average to 94.5%

11th grade averages to 64%

Or something else?

What's his overall GPA then? on his transcript?

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Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
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