Low Freshman GPA but Constant Upperclass GPA

[areserine]

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I've been lurking for a while but I haven't really seen this question addressed. If someone were to have a low freshman year GPA, 3.2 for example, then hold a 3.7 to 3.8 for the rest of undergrad, would they be looked at strictly as the average, around a 3.6? Or would the fact that they held the 3.7-3.8 for the rest of undergrad allow schools to look at them as though they had a 3.7? I know that an upward trend is good, but what about an upward spike then holding steady?
Thanks!

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Upward trends are good. 🙂 They won't make up entirely for a poor GPA, but a 3.2 freshman year with a 3.7+ every other year won't hold you back.

 

[Hemorrage]

Many schools actually have a formula where they give you extra weight for your gpa per year. I know university of Washington multiples your freshman gpa by 1, sophomore by 2 and junior by 3, therefore a bad freshman gpa with high sophomore and junior gpas would be like 1/6 of your application gpa

 

[EBTrailRunner]

You'd hardly be the first applicant to have a rough freshman year. I think most adcoms will appreciate your upward trend and see it as a sign that you've got what it takes academically.

 

[coyotelime]

Like many have said, an upward trend as you go through college is a positive and definitely better than a declining tread. While the latter may be attributed to increasing difficulty of courses, having an upward trend is a win-win because it indicates that you learned how to study and handled more difficult material.

Of course, having a 4.0 all 4 years is the best 😛

 

[searun]

As long as you avoid Johns Hopkins, and embrace wild women and beer,and shave infrequently, you will be fine, assuming that you have an upward trend. As in most things in life, it is the trend that matters most, particularly an upward trend, especially and most importantly with the wild women. You will not regret it.

 

[chronicidal]

As long as you avoid Johns Hopkins, and embrace wild women and beer,and shave infrequently, you will be fine, assuming that you have an upward trend. As in most things in life, it is the trend that matters most, particularly an upward trend, especially and most importantly with the wild women. You will not regret it.

Trend always with the women.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

^ I like this.