There is no question that we consider GPA in making our decisions. That said, we also know that students sometimes face an adjustment period from middle school to high school. If a student has less-than-stellar grades in 9th grade, we hope to see that two things have happened since then:

1) That they have continued to pursue a rigorous program (honors, AP, IB, or whatever is available at a given school) in all five core subject areas (math, science, English, social studies and a foreign language).

2) That they have improved their academic performance steadily with each passing year.

It is also important to remember that while the GPA is an important factor, it is not the only factor considered (at least not at Carleton). We look at everything in the application, including the essay, the short answer supplement and the recommendations, to get as complete a picture of a student as possible.

So, while we have no way of knowing what the final decision would be, just know that a lower GPA from your freshman year does not count you out.