Ninth graders have completed the first mid-term exams of their Severn Upper School career, and their first semester of high school ends on Friday, January 17th.  The mid-semesterreport card was a progress report.  After the conclusion of the first semester, students will have an official Severn School transcript.  Unlike a report card, a transcript is a part of the student’s permanent academic record.  If your child had a strong first semester and did well on the mid-term exams, then his or her transcript has a solid first entry.  However, it is not uncommon for students to struggle with the increased expectations they face (academically and otherwise) as a new high school student at Severn.  If your child is still trying to find his or her footing, then perhaps the transcript will contain some lower marks which may cause some concern. While low grades may suggest that a different approach is warranted, we in the College Counseling office want to help you put this initial transcript into perspective.

Because your child has completed but one semester, that one semester IS the transcript, and it is understandably easy to think that this one semester will academically define your son or daughter.  In the long run, though, this semester is only one eighth of a complete high school record. As former admissions officers who have reviewed tens of thousands of applications, we can tell you that ninth grade does not receive much scrutiny in the admission review process.  Starting high school with straight A’s is a strong beginning, but that is all it is – a beginning. Colleges will be far more interested in how the student performs in the more challenging courses in subsequent years. Similarly, a few low grades may eventually be no more than a blip on a four-year high school record.  Most colleges will notice a student’s grade trend – be it on the upswing or otherwise. Some schools, such as the entire University of California system, do not look at ninth grade at all.

Look at your child’s transcript for what it is – the first mile marker on a long journey.  Students can use the feedback from the first semester and the mid-term exams to adjust course and to build more effective habits of mind as they move into the second semester.  Of course, students who did very well should look to continue that momentum. Everyone should try to keep a long-term perspective. The grades we earned in ninth grade did not define us, and they will not define your child, either.

Go inside the college admission process to develop a contextual understanding for who gets in and why. Learn from an insider how colleges use Early Decision, Early Action, the Wait List and second semester offers of admission to manage their enrollments. Discover the “Hidden Agenda” and see how testing, demonstrated interest and ability to pay can influence outcomes. “The Down and Dirty About the College Admission Process” is a very practical, logical interpretation of a complex and mysterious process.  Both parents and students should attend this event!!!