QUESTION: Sadly I slacked during most of my freshman year. I had to attend night school just to get enough credits. Before the year ended I was able to somewhat pull up my grades to pass all my Advanced Placement classes, but I have barely a C average. I know that next year I can do much better. I’ll have all honors classes and many extracurricular activities. I definitely have A+ potential. If I do extremely well sophomore through senior year, will my slacking in freshman year haunt me when I want to get into a selective school? Signed, Former Slacker
Dear Former Slacker: It depends on the college. Most use your freshman year grades in their GPA calculation. A few schools ignore the ninth grade and just use your tenth to twelfth year grades.
While we don't recommend slacking any year, if you are going to slack off then the ninth grade is the time to do it. It's better to show improvement over the years than a drop in your grades.
If you focus on getting great grades from now on and do well on standardized tests, you should be able to overcome your ninth grade slacking. You have probably taken yourself out of the running for the most selective colleges but you can still get into a quality school. It's important to understand why you were not inspired to study during your first year and to make sure that you don't fall into the same pattern.
Also, make sure that over the next few years you erase your slacker image in the minds of your teachers. Remember your recommendations are important and if your ninth grade teachers tell your tenth grade teachers that you are less than motivated, that mark may stick with you unless you actively work to change it. Don't just go for A's but also cultivate relationships with your teachers that will pay off in your senior year with great recommendations.
If you want more techniques on how to insure that you get great teacher recommendations review Chapter 4, How to Get the Right Evaluations in "Get Into Any College."
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