Grades

Answered

It is true that the higher your GPA is, the better. However, I think people overestimate the detriment caused by some of your grades, especially the ones you got in your freshman year. The primary reason colleges want to see your transcript isn't to compare you with other students, it's to gauge how ready you are for college rigor. Top-tier colleges get plenty of applicants with perfect 4.0s, yet, they're turned down with rejection because they only meet the prerequisites for what the admissions team is looking for. Yes, they might be ready for college rigor, but they didn't spend their time in high school engaging with their interests, so colleges often don't know any qualities of these students. If a student only has their GPA to boast, then admissions officers have no reason to choose them over any other student with a 4.0. Instead, you'll often see colleges, even the best in the world, settle for students with GPAs as low as 3.7, yet who have authentic and angular characteristics. So in other words, keep up the good work. You still need to perform well in school, and as I said earlier, the higher your GPA, the better. It's also important to make sure you take plenty of honors and AP classes to exemplify your college readiness. However, don't compromise your ability to explore your interests through extracurriculars just for straight As, because admissions officers get more than enough of those. Take care!