There is a big difference between a 10th grader and a college-bound senior. Consider that the youngest students in many 10th grade classes are still only 14 years old on the first day of school. For that reason, education experts question how much sophomore year grades should count toward college.
With that said, though, almost every college looks at 10th grade when evaluating your academic record. However, most schools prioritize your coursework in later years of high school. Colleges look more favorably on students whose grades improve from 10th to 12th grade than on students whose academic performance starts off strong and then declines.
Table of Contents
- Do Colleges Look at 10th Grade? What Year Do Grades Start to Count?
- Will a Bad 9th or 10th Grade Year Disqualify Me From Selective Colleges?
- Should I Start Taking AP Classes in 10th Grade?
- What Can I Start Doing in 10th Grade to Prepare for College?
- Do Colleges Care More About Junior or Senior Year Grades?
- The Bottom Line on Whether Colleges Look at 10th Grade
Do Colleges Look at 10th Grade? What Year Do Grades Start to Count?
Grades start to count for college admission during ninth grade. However, many colleges admissions officers have gone on the record to say they’re more forgiving of a spotty or poor ninth grade record than they would be if a student’s grades tanked their junior or senior year.
Some Schools Ignore 9th Grade
A few schools, including several highly selective ones, don’t count freshman year grades at all. These schools include the entire University of California and California State University systems, along with Stanford University and McGill University (in Canada).
All Schools Look at 10th Grade
Colleges start looking at your academic performance in 10th grade at the absolute latest. This gives them two full years of data to evaluate when making an admissions decision. Because college applications are due barely halfway through your senior year — and early decision and early action decisions are due in the fall, before you’ve even gotten your first semester grades — your junior year is the last full year of grades colleges have to look at.
That means poor or mediocre performance in 9th or 10th grade gives you less time than you think to pull your GPA up for college. If you’re a current or rising 10th grader, now is the time to put your foot on the pedal and start crushing your classes.
Will a Bad 9th or 10th Grade Year Disqualify Me From Selective Colleges?
A big question for high school seniors is whether a poor 9th or 10th grade year will disqualify them from selective colleges. The answer is that it depends. Are you applying to the most elite schools in the country, or are you looking at colleges with more lenient admissions standards?
Elite Colleges Demand Near-Perfection
The most elite colleges and universities — think the Ivy League, Duke, Stanford, MIT, etc. — get so many highly qualified applicants for so few spots that there’s little room for error. With every application they review, they’re looking for a reason, even if it’s something trivial, to put it in the rejection pile, freeing up a spot for one of the thousands of other candidates in the stack.
Even if you’ve conquered the world your junior and senior years, you’re competing against kids who are just as talented and accomplished and who didn’t slip up as a freshman or sophomore. Therefore, if you’re gunning for top schools, you need to bring your A-game starting in 9th and 10th grade.
Other Schools, Even Some Selective Ones, Are More Forgiving
Although Ivy League schools might view a single ‘B’ in 9th or 10th grade about as favorably as a felony rap sheet, other schools will forgive poor or mediocre performance your freshman or sophomore year. These schools understand that everyone makes mistakes, particularly when they’re 14 and 15 years old, and that many kids who start out as middling students grow into academic superstars when given the opportunity.
So, if you got off to a rough start as a freshman or sophomore, don’t fret. Unless you’re dead-set on an Ivy League school or equivalent, you’ll be fine. There are plenty of colleges that will still accept you — including many selective and prestigious schools.
Colleges Want to See Improving Grades
Colleges are more likely to accept a student with lower grades in 9th and 10th grade if the student made demonstrative strides to improve their academic record in the later high school years. In other words, trend matters.
Colleges understand that students mature at different rates, and that one’s performance at 14 years old might not tell much about what type of college student they’ll be. An upward trend in grades shows that a student is coming into college with academic momentum.
Should I Start Taking AP Classes in 10th Grade?
At some point during your high school career, you’ll have the opportunity to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. For some students, 10th grade is the right time to start taking AP classes. For others, it might be best to wait until 11th or 12th grade.
There are several factors to consider when making this decision. And not all of these factors revolve around crafting the best possible resume for college admissions.
Consider the Rigor and Workload
Be honest with yourself about whether you’re ready for the challenge of an AP class. Remember, these are college-level courses. You won’t be doing easy worksheets for homework and getting extra credit opportunities on every test. Expect to do a lot of reading, writing, and studying.
Consider the Subject Matter
Do the AP classes available to 10th graders at your school match your skills and interests? Unless you have a Harvard-or-bust mentality, you don’t have to take every AP class available at your school. Plenty of great colleges are understanding of the fact that you want to focus on a few things you’re good at and that interest you, rather than piling up work in subjects you have no desire to pursue down the road.
What Can I Start Doing in 10th Grade to Prepare for College?
You don’t need to stress out and obsess over college in 10th grade to the point you miss out on a rewarding high school experience. But it isn’t too early to start thinking ahead and doing a few simple things to prepare. High school goes faster than you think. Here are some things you can do to start getting ready for college:
- Start making a list of schools. Think about what kind of college you’d like to attend. Big or small? Public or private? Big frat scene or an artsy vibe? Share your preferences with your parents or guidance counselors. They can help you research schools and find the best fit for you.
- Start saving money. You don’t have to squirrel away every penny. Again, you deserve to enjoy high school — going to movies and football games, cruising the Walmart parking lot on Friday night. But college tuition is expensive, and so are dorms and dining halls. Consider putting a percentage of the money you make at your summer job or babysitting gig into a savings account for college.
- Research scholarships and grants. When the time comes, you want to apply for as many of these as possible. Start building a list now so it can be pages long when college application season arrives.
- Get involved in something. This doesn’t mean join every club your school offers just to show up for the yearbook picture and then promptly disengage. That strategy worked in the 1990s, but colleges are wise to it now. Schools today want to see passion and leadership. It’s better to start one club that actually makes a difference in your school or community than to join 10 clubs that meet once a semester to have pizza.
Do Colleges Care More About Junior or Senior Year Grades?
It’s long been accepted wisdom that colleges place the highest importance on the grades a student earns in their junior year of high school. According to college admissions officers, though, the grades earned during a student’s senior year are more predictive of success in college.
The problem for colleges is that senior year grades aren’t always available at the time applications are due. Early decision and early action deadlines often occur before first-semester senior year grades have even come out. Therefore, junior year grades become the most important ones by default.
But colleges still find a way to use senior year grades. For instance, a student who applies early decision but is borderline will often be deferred to the regular-decision round and asked to submit their first-semester grades for review.
Don’t Slack Off Once You’re Accepted
A common misconception among students is that once they get accepted to the college they want to attend, they can blow off the rest of high school. This couldn’t be more false. If you read the fine print of your acceptance packet, you’ll almost certain find verbiage explaining that the decision is subject to a final review of your high school transcript.
In other words, if you slack, you could get sacked. Finish strong so you don’t have to worry about having your dream school pulled out from under you.
The Bottom Line on Whether Colleges Look at 10th Grade
Colleges look at 10th grade when making admissions decisions. But it’s one of many factors they consider and arguably nowhere close to the most important one. Unless you’re applying to the most selective schools in the country, you aren’t expected to be perfect in 10th grade. If you’re a current or rising sophomore, focus on your academics, but take time to explore your passions and figure out where you want life to take you. Don’t forget to have fun along the way!
