Senior year first semester grades

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blinkmiss
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:22 pm

Senior year first semester grades

Post by blinkmiss » Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:26 pm

I am a rising junior and starting to think about graduate school applications and my academic plan for the next two years. I was talking to a recently graduated(and admitted to many top schools) physics major from my school, and he said that graduate schools do not ask for, and do not even look at, the first semester senior year grades. Is this true? I intend to take some very important physics classes in that semester, and thought they would carry weight in my application.

Daquarius
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2013 6:29 pm

Re: Senior year first semester grades

Post by Daquarius » Tue Jul 08, 2014 2:53 pm

Some don't, some do. I know Princeton required me to upload another copy of my unofficial transcript after Fall grades had been posted. Schools that require official transcripts and have deadlines before Fall grades are generally posted (e.g. Maryland, Colorado) aren't going to see them.

TakeruK
Posts: 941
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2012 3:05 pm

Re: Senior year first semester grades

Post by TakeruK » Tue Jul 08, 2014 3:54 pm

Many applications are due prior to the fall semester grades being released, so in my experience, many schools will not be able to use these grades in their evaluation of your application.

However, almost all schools will require an unofficial transcript (a few required official ones) at time of application and this usually means that they will see what courses you are enrolled in. Some schools also ask for courses you plan to enroll in for the remainder of your school year.

Either way, your grades in your junior year will probably play the largest role in the grades portion of your grad school application. For most people, junior year is the start of upper level physics courses and most schools care more about your upper level courses than your lower level courses!

That said, your senior year grades will still be very important after your senior year when you apply to fellowships during your first year or two in grad school!



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