How much does not having my first term senior grades matter?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the implications of not having first term senior grades for graduate school admissions, particularly in the context of a student's timeline for completing their degree and applying to programs. It explores concerns about how admissions committees evaluate applications and the importance of completed coursework.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether the absence of first term grades would negatively impact their graduate school admissions prospects.
  • Another participant suggests that graduate schools typically do not evaluate applications until after the submission deadline, indicating that timing of grades may not be critical.
  • A participant notes that admissions committees prioritize the courses taken and performance in them over the timing of those courses.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential impact of not having completed advanced EM by the time of application, with one participant sharing their personal experience of being admitted without first term grades.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of concern regarding the absence of first term grades, with some suggesting it may not be a significant issue while others remain uncertain about the implications of not completing specific courses before applying.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss the variability in application processes across different graduate schools, including differences in admission cycles and the timing of evaluations.

Who May Find This Useful

Students preparing for graduate school applications, particularly those concerned about the timing of their coursework and its impact on admissions.

vancouver_water
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For graduate school admissions? I will finish my third year this April and then will start an 8 month full time research project. I will have the possibility to graduate with 7 semesters instead of 8, but if I apply to graduate schools next December I will not have any first term grades. Would this be very bad for admissions?

Thank you everyone for any input.
 
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In most cases graduate schools don't evaluate graduate student applications as they come in. They usually only admit students once or in some cases twice per year. They application deadline will be in the prior winter for admission in September usually - but this varies by school. So if you put your application in December, they likely won't look at it until just after the deadline - whenever that happens to be. Sometimes you can apply in the summer for winter admission, but not every school does this.

Admissions committees are more interested in the courses that you've taken and how you did in them then when you took them. No one is going to bat an eyelash if you've already taken the standard upper year physics courses and done well in them.

In the end, it's pretty standard for offers of admission to be conditional on successful completion of your degree. So the university will see your final transcripts eventually. It's just that the numbers in your final semester, whenever that is, won't factor into the competitive aspects of the admissions decisions.
 
Hello, thanks for the response. I will have finished the major senior level classes by the end of this term, except for advanced EM. I would be taking it next year in January, after I finished applications. Would not having this course be bad?
 
I think I was admitted without first term grades so you should be fine.
 

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