Does first semester of senior year count in college admissions?

Question

I had pretty good grades 9th and 10th grade but 11th grade, while I learned a lot of good life lessons, my grades had nothing to show for it. I had taken the hardest classes at my school for all three years, but I failed one semester of my honors physics class last year. I am taking the same rigorous classes senior year and am planning to improve my grades a lot. Would my first semester of senior year grades count? Do they look at that for admission at all, or is it only used to see if you are completely slacking after they grant you admission?

Answer 1

If you get an interview, you can explain the problems then. Of course, if you shift the reason for the failure to a teacher, or some lame reason, it won't look good.

Some college admit students on the condition that their LAST semester grades stay up! I know of one young man who blew off his last quarter and had his admission revoked!

So the answer is: yes, grades count all the way through.

Answer 2

Not only does your first semester count, but the full year counts.  Just because you apply to college while you are still a junior does not mean that senior year is party time!  The college will request a final high school transcript, and you mess up big time, they can and have been known to turn over their decision and decide to reject that student "after careful reexamination."  So, make sure you do your best your final year, pull your gpa up as high as you can, and you should be alright.

Answer 3

Really, they can't look at what grades you get when they're granting admission since you haven't completed the classes, they do however look at the classes you're taking to make sure that you're not slacking off since it's your last year. I have, however heard of kids admission being revoked for doing poorly during their senior year. Don't mess it up. However...that failed class isn't going to look so great on your applications.  

Answer 4

ABSOLUETLY, second semester can only help as well

Answer 5

Most people don't have these grades by the time they apply.  However, if things change dramatically after you have applied, they can rescind admissions.  If you wait to apply until you have the grades, they will count.  However, a drastic change in grades in the last semester before you apply won't much help you, because they will assume you suddenly buckled down just for the sake of the application.  Junior year is usually the most significant.

Answer 6

High School... The whole year counts if you do bad in 9th,10th and in your case 11th your rate of going to a good college goes down 10%.

So do best please or else you'll be going to community college. FIRST SEMESTER THEY MAKE YOU THINK IT DOESN'T COUNT IT DOES TRUST ME  

Answer 7

If you send your applications before you get any senior year grades, then they don't take them into account when processing your application.  If you wait until you get some grades on your transcript and then send them in, they will consider them (if you're application is on time).  But they can always rescind admission if you end up slacking off and doing badly the semester later.

Answer 8

Yes, your school sends them tentative grades if you apply during first semester, then they send them your final grade for semester, and then, lastly, they will send them your final second semester grades as well.

Answer 9

Yes, it counts!  Every day of high school counts, even your last quarter of senior year.

Applications can include your first semester of senior year.  But beware that colleges can also revoke admission if they see you are doing poorly senior year.  They don't want someone who doesn't bother with grades once they think they're "in" and safe.

It's too late now, but perhaps you should have taken easier courses in high school.  Colleges prefer to see someone getting an A or B in a "regular" class, than to see someone struggling over and over in harder classes that they may not belong in.