Do Middle School Grades Matter for College Admissions

Your child’s middle school performance can be a great source of concern. If you are worrying whether a low or below average score in middle school can have a negative impact on their college acceptance, the short answer is no. Colleges and universities primarily consider high school GPA to evaluate a candidate’s academic potential.

However, the truth is not that simple. While universities choose not to weigh middle school grades when making their decision, it does not mean that middle school grades should be taken lightly. Good grades can improve your child’s chances of gaining admission to advanced placement courses in high school—something colleges do consider. Middle school grades and attendance are reliable predictors of success in high school and college.

Before we delve further into understanding why middle school grades are important for college admissions, let’s answer one of the questions you may have, what exactly colleges are looking for in their potential students.

So What Exactly Are Colleges Looking At?

High School Grades

Colleges consider a student's high school transcript and GPA at the time of their college application. The strength of a student's course load and the grades achieved in high school classes determine their eligibility for admission to colleges. Having good grades alone is not sufficient - excelling in advanced coursework like AP and A-Level classes is important for strengthening applications to top-tier colleges. The minimum admitted GPA reported at highly selective schools like Ivy Leagues are 3.9 and for student athletes it can be much lower than that. If your child is applying to the United States, grades make up 40% of the admissions equation while in the UK, it stands at 75%. However you put it, getting high grades is the first and most important part of a successful admissions application. You want to make sure your child is taking the most challenging coursework they can still achieve a high grade in.

Extracurriculars

The common application process provides the opportunity to list up to 10 activities in the activities list. These activities could be anything from extracurriculars, community services, or volunteering done outside of school hours. These activities offer the opportunity to showcase their skills, interest, values and more. This is also an opportunity to include any activity that your child has started in middle school and is continued through high school. If your child’s major happens to  relate to the applied major, then this can demonstrate their genuine interest and passion for the subject. If your child is applying to the United States, extracurriculars and leadership, spread out across the realms of creativity, action, service, and a scholarly activity, will weigh in at around 30% of your final application. For the UK, it stands at 15% and they want to see reasonable commitment to an activity related to the subject your child wishes to study. 

Standardized Test Scores

Another prerequisite for most colleges is standardized test scores such as ACT and SAT scores. These test scores are considered to be a measure of your child’s academic knowledge. Students can take multiple attempts of the SAT or ACT until they are satisfied with their scores and certain they cannot improve further. However, it is not advisable to take the standardized test half a dozen times as colleges can also see how many times a candidate has taken the test. That is why taking the PSAT 8/9 and the PSAT 10 in younger grades to develop test strategies, as well as getting SAT tutoring is a much wiser choice. Colleges will be much more impressed if your child ace the SAT in their first attempt and taking it a second time is not the end of the world. However, more attempts than that may count against them. 

Scoring above the average applicant’s score in a given school improves your child’s chances as an applicant. The Ivy League generally aims for scores of 1550+ out of 1600, where 800 points are devoted to English and 800 points for mathematics. 

Personal Essays

It is mandatory in the college application process to provide a personal statement essay. A personal statement is a chance for the applicant to tell a story which is not evident through their transcript, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, or standardized testing scores. Essentially, this is not the place where your child should brag about their top GPA, but rather, it is an opportunity to showcase a slice of humble pie. They can discuss an ethical issue they are passionate about, a key moment in their life and how it has shaped them into who they are today, their unique cultural background, etc.

Some colleges even require the applicants to submit supplementary essays, spotlighting why the student is specifically interested in their university (do not tell Harvard it is because they are an Ivy League school, strictly speaking there are 8 Ivy Leagues in the northeastern part of the United States!), what are their driving factors behind their major of choice, as well as which professors they are interested in studying with and why. 

Recommendation Letters

Most colleges ask for recommendation letters to get a third party or outside perspective on the applicant. These letters offer genuine insights into the applicant's character, personality, motivation and capabilities. They can validate the student’s achievements and establish credibility over the information presented in other parts of the application

A strong recommendation letter can even set your child apart from other applicants who have a similar academic record and test score as your child’s. If your child’s grades aren’t quite where they should be, a strong letter of recommendation can provide context to the challenges that may have resulted in lower grades and can even demonstrate personal growth and ability to overcome challenges. Schools generally ask for 2-3 letters of recommendation. It is ideal to have one letter from a core academic teacher (STEM subject) and one from a liberal arts subject teacher.

The personal essays, SAT letters, and recommendation letters account for about 30% of the overall admissions equation in the United States, and 10% in the United Kingdom. Should your child be invited for an alumni interview, that falls under the respective percentages here as well. For some institutions, such as Oxford and Cambridge, the admissions interview is the final decision on whether your child shall be admitted or not. 

Former Duke admission officer breaks down college admissions process and how to prepare G5- 8 for college in this on demand video

When Can Middle School Grades be Counted for College Application?

Some middle schools in the US offer high school level classes for students who are consistently performing well in a given class. Since these advanced classes are high school level courses, they can appear on the high school transcript. If your child happens to not do well in the advanced class during middle school, they have the opportunity to retake the same class in high school.

In all other cases, colleges only count grades from the first year of high school (i.e from grade 9) to the fourth year of high school (grade 12). If your child is under a different educational system (ie 13 Years in the UK), then the last four years will be counted based on their system (ie Years 10-13 in the UK). 

How Does Middle School Experience Affect College Admissions, Then?

Middle school experiences, academic and non academic, play an indirect role in the college application process by influencing the path your child takes in high school. 

Middle school is a transformative period in your child’s life. It is a crucial time when your child develops foundational skills and interests that they will further pursue in high school and beyond. While scoring good grades are an indication of your child’s academic interest, focus should be on enhancing the overall middle school experience.

Here’s more than one way in which your child’s middle school experience defines their high school performance:

• Scoring consistent good grades in middle school opens up the opportunity to take high school level classes earlier on, which in turn prepares them to take up advanced, A level and AP classes in high school. By getting the easier high school classes out of the way in middle school, there is more time to do more challenging features in high school, adding a higher degree of capability to your child’s admissions profile. 
• It provides an opportunity to take time and think more about their future, career and other interests. Scoring consistently well in a specific middle school class could be an indication of their interest to pursue it further. This pursuit can happen in the forms of extra classes, summer programs, leadership, and internships, all of which have a profound impact on their college application. 
• These are formative years that shapes your child’s study habits including time management and organizational skills, which they carry life long with them
• It is also a principal time when they get the opportunity to explore extracurricular activities and hobbies, allowing them to develop their interests and skills. For example, starting piano in middle school will enable your child to finish a higher grade level in ABRSM piano rather than waiting for high school to begin. 
• They can foster valuable skills such as leadership skills, critical thinking, and decision making at an early age. 
• They can instill values like civic responsibility through volunteering and community service. In the United States, many schools require about 25 hours of community service each year, totalling up to 100 hours before a student graduates. Should your child wish to apply to the United States, trying to find an outlet for community service in middle school relative to your interests could help in developing a solid habit and finding it easier to get the hours in during high school. 

How to Prepare Your Middle Schooler for College Admissions?

Middle school is the time to build a foundation for high school years, which in turn determines your child’s preparedness  to apply for colleges. While good grades matter, focusing on personal growth and development can help your child succeed in high school and beyond. This is the time when your child’s brain and body are starting to undergo the changes into adulthood, and handling it right could help make the essential four years of high school far less stressful and much more successful. 

Address your child’s biggest challenges: These challenges don't have to be particularly related to academic performance. Addressing challenges and effectively taking measures to overcome them in early years is ideal for your child’s optimal growth. For example, If your child is struggling with motivation or getting distracted easily, equip them with time management and goal-setting skills. If they are grappling with confidence or communication-related issues, participate in more open conversations with them and positively reinforce their communication abilities. Read more about building effective communication skills in your pre teen.

Seek academic tutors if required: Subject-specific tutors can help overcome your child’s academic hurdles. If your child is already performing well, consider them taking advanced courses like AP, A level, or edX as it can build up an academic resume eligible for top college applications. Crimson Rise’s mentors and academic advisors can help select the right-level course and mentor your child towards successful completion. Should courses not be available to you locally or your schedule is particularly busy, the Crimson Global Academy also offers coursework students can take fully online, both in a virtual classroom with peers their age as well DaVinci style, where the curriculum is done 1:1 with a fully qualified teacher at the pace which the student chooses. 

Bringing opportunities to pursue: Early introduction to extracurriculars gives your child the advantage to explore and even mature earlier in their areas of interests. Having open conversation about hobbies, opening up avenues to pursue extracurriculars, and providing the flexibility to choose activities can equip your child with a well-developed profile, something sought after by admission officers of top colleges.

Further reads

+How to Improve Middle School Grades

+What Subjects to Choose in Middle School

Find out if Your Middle Schooler is Prepared for High School

As discussed earlier, good grades and attendance are predictors of successful college acceptance. If your child is maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or above, they are performing well academically and meeting the expectations set by the school curriculum.

But scoring good grades might not be just enough to make your child high school ready. Being high school ready means being able to secure high grades in advanced level courses while maintaining a well developed extracurricular portfolio. The middle school years are valuable years to start early preparation for college. Crimson Rise offers a unique college preparatory program for middle schoolers, the only one of its kind in the world. Through personal mentorship, profile building strategies, and career exploration our program gives your child an edge over their peers. Book a free one on one consultation with our resident expert and find out if the program is right for your child.

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