As a freshman, college is still four long years away. Should you really be worrying about getting good grades for college admission already? Do colleges actually check a student’s grades all the way back from freshman year?
If you’re just entering freshman year, you should know that this is the right time to start working towards college admissions.
Why Your Freshman Grades Matter
You’re right in thinking colleges are not as interested in your freshman grades as much as your junior and senior year grades. So why do your freshman grades matter at all?
Because they affect your overall GPA, which is a key factor in any application. Keep in mind, however, that colleges don’t weigh every element of an app the same way. For example, your extracurricular activities may play a part, but your test scores and GPA are more important and therefore hold more weight. As such, freshman grades count but not as much as senior grades.
Will a C Grade In Freshman Year Affect Your Chances Of Getting Accepted?
A C grade is not great in any year. However, the good news is you still have another three years to improve your grades. Colleges love a success story and will definitely take note of your improvement over the years.
What Colleges Look For in an Application
At the end of the day, colleges are not really interested in your performance at 14. When they assess your academic records, they want to see one of two things. The first is a steady performance starting freshman year right through to senior year. The second is your progression in grades. If you started off poorly but improved your grades considerably throughout high school, that will count strongly in your favor. Colleges look for students who show tenacity and persistence, which is exactly what your grade improvement demonstrates.
You can even use your grade improvement as one of the talking points if your college essay revolves around personal or academic growth.
Freshman year is neither too early nor too late to start thinking about getting good grades for college admissions. Start now and keep up the momentum to get a head start over other applicants competing for a place in select universities.
