Gratitude for Great Grades by Blayne

Gratitude for Great Grades by Blayne - November 2014 Scholarship Essay

Entering a high school, no matter the size, is always intimidating. A plethora of new opportunities unfold which have the potential to distract new freshman: what clubs, friends, sports, classes, and events should they participate in or attend? The real purpose of high school is easily lost, as I can tell you from personal experience. As a freshman, study skills are the most essential aspect, and I urge all students, regardless of the level, to focus on maintaining their grades. The most frequent statement I have heard in the process of college applications is simple, “I wish I would have tried harder freshman and sophomore years.”

It is widely known that colleges look at sophomore and junior year grades when considering new students, yet this strewn into the misconception that freshman year grades are trivial. Freshman year is the beginning of an academic career a student will follow in high school. It sets the precedent for the remainder of schooling; if a freshman does poorly in Biology, they will not be able to take an Advanced Biology class, thus jeopardizing the process that will occur later on when applying to colleges. Grades transfer into an annual and cumulative grade point average. It is exceedingly important for a student to maintain a high grade point average. Most Universities of California and private universities look at an average overall GPA, which often have these freshman year grades incorporated.

As a student looking toward attending a great university, one needs to maintain a rigorous course load throughout high school. Advanced Placement classes, which are offered during junior and senior year, are an essential component to acceptance at a highly praised college. However, these classes often have prerequisites determining who may apply and take the course based on previous grades from freshman and sophomore years. One must have an A or B, usually, to participate in honors courses their sophomore year, which lead to the AP classes taken the last two years of high school. Not only, are AP classes an unofficial requisite to most universities, they are also an opportunity to participate in a college-level class and challenge one’s logical and content based skills. Furthermore, students who maintain enrollment will receive a grade bump, improving their GPA and making them more competitive when applying for college and scholarships senior year.

College applications are tedious, and the process it takes to select which colleges to appeal to is equally frustrating. This is compounded if one does not meet the requirements for a college they wish to attend. Often, seniors are unaware of the importance that freshmen grades, and the long term ramifications of scholastic choices made freshman year. Therefore, the importance of freshman year is quintessential. Not only, when applying to colleges, but also in the search for scholarships. A student may be able to attend a school of their choice, however may find they are unable to pay for the finances of college. Scholarships ease this horrendous finical burden, yet scholarships are given to students with higher GPAs and more outstanding achievements. Once again, freshman grades are exceedingly important.

Therefore, my piece of advice to freshman is simple, please take my warning to heart and focus on school work your freshman year. If you do, you will generously thank me later on.