Including Senior Year Grades In Applications

[twilson]

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I have looked through the threads and have been unable to come up with a situation exactly like mine, maybe I overlooked it???

But some of the schools I want to apply would like to have your JR+SR year GPA..

I am wondering how this is supposed to work, since the deadlines for these programs are Dec 1, Dec 15, and Jan 1 and I will not be receiving grades for Fall semester until maybe Christmas break and my goal is to have applications in by November.

Do I send updated transcripts after I receive Fall grades?

This is important to me because although my cGPA is low I have had a pretty good upward trend after freshman year(nothing below a 3.4) and would like to be able for admissions to see that my sophomore and junior years weren't just a fluke 😛

Thank you in advance 🙂

 

[krisrox]

Here's just one more reason to wait a year before applying- a complete transcript. (For the record, though, I'm not waiting either and my transcript won't be complete, either.) From what grad students in my lab have told me, you can always send in the transcript later or bring it to the interview. But GPA is one of those factors that gets you to the interview stage, so you might want to try addressing it before then. Maybe try addressing it in your personal statement. That's your voice and your chance to explain anything you feel needs explaining.

 

[JockNerd]

If deadlines are early you really have no choice but send what you have if you intend on applying this year. I'd send the incomplete transcript and offer to your POI to send an unofficial updated one when grades come in, rather than not send one and have an admin assistant look at your file, say "this is incomplete, thank goodness, one less to sort" and toss it.

If you're really concerned, I'd ask your letter writers to try to mention your improvement in grades as you adjust to university and find your calling (or whatever).

 

[twilson]

Thanks for the reply,

I plan on addressing it in my personal statement and calculated my Sop/Junior GPA and plan on putting it on my CV as well as my Psych GPA, maybe I will send an updated one when grades come out...
Its not a really HUGE deal but I am trying to figure out what to do for that space on the application is all

 

[Wildcat06]

Yeah, absolutely send in a transcript with your application, even if it's incomplete. They won't look at your application unless it's there. But they are very used to people applying while still in school. You might bring an official copy with your fall grades on it if/when you go to interviews, but chances are that at that point you've already made the cutoff and they aren't terribly concerned with grades at that point. They will also require degree confirmation before you matriculate if you get into a program so next summer you would send proof of your bachelor's completion to your program.

EDIT: As for what to put on the application, just put your junior year GPA since that's all you have.

 

[cara susanna]

I sent an incomplete transcript. One school requested a complete one, but that didn't stop them from rejecting me. I also had to send a complete one to the school I accepted an offer from.

 

[twilson]

Thanks all! I was just worried that my application would be overlooked if I did not have senior grades on it..I wonder how they expect those who havent graduated yet to compute those GPAs😕

 

[ilikeeepsycheee]

i called a few schools and asked how they wanted me to do it...some said to make a note on the app and then send in an updated transcript immediately after 1st semester...some called around the time they were discussing interviews and wanted to know what i was enrolled in during the spring and how i was doing in courses, etc.

as many have said though, you need to send something in...if they see on your app that youre not graduating until may 2010, then they obviously see why you only have 3 years worth of college grades.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Bumping this up...

If programs make no statement either way, is there a common assumption we should make regarding having to/not having to send an updated transcript once fall grades are in, or do I need to check with each program individually?

 

[terpskins10]

I requested that my school send final transcripts to all the places I applied.

 

[twilson]

I'm sending updated transcripts to those that have later dates, and one to a school that said it is okay to send updated ones