Upward trend/Downward trend

[Jezzielin]

I have mentioned this in my posts before but I am still curious. Granted that an upward trend is good, but I don't see how one can screw up their pre-reqs that badly. I can understand more of a downward trend (not failing classes but Bs or something later in college). Maybe it is just at my school and I mean no disrespect, but my pre-reqs were a joke. But now that I am getting in to harder and harder classes I am on a downward trend (again I haven't failed clases but dipping a little in my GPA my junior year).

It is so much harder to explain doing worse later in college than earlier and I can't see why. Pre-reqs are the basic sciences. Once you pass those you go onto more challenging courses! Why does it look worse to do bad later then earlier?

And does anyone know how to explain a downward trend? I am still doing okay but you can easily explain lower grades in the beginning by saying that you got focused after your first year or something... any words of advice or anyone that is in the same situation???

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[korndoctor]

i'm in the same boat as you are....i have a downward trend...but its not like i'm failing or getting's C's..im just getting B's....how do i explain this...my only reason is that the engineering courses are tough and its near impossible to get A's unless i spent all my time on the subject like a geek, which premeds cant afford...we have other stufff on our plates like EC and mcats and sucking up...please clarify

 

[Caesar]

i'm in the same boat as you are....i have a downward trend...but its not like i'm failing or getting's C's..im just getting B's....how do i explain this...my only reason is that the engineering courses are tough and its near impossible to get A's unless i spent all my time on the subject like a geek, which premeds cant afford...we have other stufff on our plates like EC and mcats and sucking up...please clarify

why are you posting in 2 threads of the same topic? One would suffice.

 

[mdmarty]

You probably won't have to explain anything. For example, going from a 4.0 to a 3.9 to a 3.8 in 4 years will not make anyone think that you are slacking off or having a downward trend. Hard to go up when you have a 4.0 or 3.9, right?

 

[talbo]

i have a similar question for my gpa... i just got verified n the trend goes as follows

high school: 3.79
fresh: 3.89
soph: 3.92
junior: 3.96
senior: 3.80

these are for cumulative, AO n BCMP follows the same pattern... i am a reapplicant n last yr my AO:BCMP was 3.90 : 3.92 now it's 3.87 : 3.90...

I have a 5 B/B+ total and 3 of them are from senior year

would this be considered a decreasing trend since my last yr's GPA was the worst of the 4 years? not trying to be over-worried but don't know what adcoms think of this so would like to see input from others. thanks!