please delete! Forum

[mickeyD]

Edited for privacy: please delete!

Thanks to all for your help!

[Hannibal]

Not big enough to make a difference.

[Knock]

Hi all,

I'm currently a junior in undergrad and am looking forward to apply during the next upcoming cycle. I know that it's debatable if "upward trends" even matter, but for the sake of it, I was wondering if an adcomm looking at my transcript would consider this to be one.

Freshman - 31 credits
3.08 fall, 3.50 spring
3.38 cumulative

Sophomore - 28 credits
3.23 fall, 3.75 spring
3.45 cumulative

Junior - 25 credits
3.53 fall, 4.0 spring (on pace)
3.54 cumulative

I also took a few winter courses that I received A's in if anyone was wondering why the cumulative GPA doesn't add up perfectly. Low-ish number of credits is due to AP credit (I don't need to take 30/semester to graduate) and a withdrawal from a class junior year.

Would this be considered an upward trend, and if so, one strong enough to have any kind of relevance? I'm afraid that perhaps an adcomm would observe the number of credits I took and attribute my improving GPA to a lower workload. Also if I have a legitimate explanation for why I did poorly early in my college career, do I mention it or is this considered to be making excuses? I don't even know where you would include something like that.

Thanks in advance for your help!

It's a slight upward trend, but definitely not strong enough to have any kind of relevance. It's questionable whether an upward grade trend even helps you anyways.

[legaleagle9]

damn. u really hate the fall huh? hahha

[bp shinners]

If you didn't have that 3.23 your sophomore year, I'd probably recommend you write something about the first semester, if you have something interesting to say. However, with that second sub-3.5 semester, I don't think it's enough of an upwards trend.

That being said, it won't hurt to write a short, explanatory essay about the first semester if you can come up with something compelling to say about the situation. I wouldn't count on it having much of an effect, though.

[zonto]

Could be considered grade inflation.

[bk1]

It's barely upward at all and even then upward trends don't matter.