Fall Term Grades & the Review Process

[Rose]

Not to give a long story, and I don't know about everyone else, but I was pretty proud of myself for so far holding the *extreme anxiety* I was anticipating this process to cause at bay (for the time being). But now it's slowly creeping up on me, not least because all my Fall semester grades are still not on my transcript. Without going into too much detail on the issue, the professors graded me in the classes and everything, but the registrar is currently working on registration for the impending semester and hasn't been able to put them all on my transcript yet. Hence, I haven't sent midyear grade reports for schools.

Did other people who are still in programs send these grades eons ago? Am I screwed? How should I deal with this?

[relatedly, or unrelatedly, my Berkeley departmental application still reads "ready for review, but incomplete" even though all the items we were supposed to turn in there -writing sample, letters, transcripts- are in. does everyone's say this or am I in trouble w/r/t midyear grades?]

[foosh]

Not to give a long story, and I don't know about everyone else, but I was pretty proud of myself for so far holding the *extreme anxiety* I was anticipating this process to cause at bay (for the time being). But now it's slowly creeping up on me, not least because all my Fall semester grades are still not on my transcript. Without going into too much detail on the issue, the professors graded me in the classes and everything, but the registrar is currently working on registration for the impending semester and hasn't been able to put them all on my transcript yet. Hence, I haven't sent midyear grade reports for schools.

Did other people who are still in programs send these grades eons ago? Am I screwed? How should I deal with this?

[relatedly, or unrelatedly, my Berkeley departmental application still reads "ready for review, but incomplete" even though all the items we were supposed to turn in there -writing sample, letters, transcripts- are in. does everyone's say this or am I in trouble w/r/t midyear grades?]

You'll be moved down the pile if they've started the process which might put you at a disadvantage. Get those transcripts in ASAP.

[balderdash]

You'll be moved down the pile if they've started the process which might put you at a disadvantage. Get those transcripts in ASAP.

Sorry, can you elaborate? And on what basis do you say this, personal experience?

I'm in a master's with no fall grades. Does this mean that I'll be "moved down the pile"?

[adaptations]

Sorry, can you elaborate? And on what basis do you say this, personal experience?

I'm in a master's with no fall grades. Does this mean that I'll be "moved down the pile"?

Assuming that you have already submitted transcripts from each school you've attended (even if grades aren't available for the most recent term), I don't believe the missing grades are a problem. I remember when I applied during the first term of my master's program, I submitted an empty transcript, just as proof of enrollment in the program and then followed up with an update once grades were released.

[RWBG]

Some departments allow you to upload or send in fall grades, and they'll certainly use them if they have them, but it was also my impression that fall grades are not essential to the evaluation process. I was explicitly told by one department that "many applicants will not have fall grades in by the time they submit their transcripts - this is fine."

[balderdash]

Well, that's reassuring. But it's not that I haven't submitted them in time or anything - I'm doing my master's in the UK, where there just aren't any fall grades...

[Count de Monet]

Normally you are to send in your transcripts "as is" to the departments, and then submit your Fall grades to them once they are available. I don't understand why they wouldn't be considering you anyways with the grades that you have submitted. They should understand that with many deadlines before grades are submitted that not everyone will be able to get their fall grades in to them before applications are due.

Princeton, for example, wants people to submit their transcripts, and then applicants are to submit an additional form with Fall grades once they become available...but they still consider you anyways even if you don't submit that form is my understanding.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Count de Monet

[foosh]

Not to give a long story, and I don't know about everyone else, but I was pretty proud of myself for so far holding the *extreme anxiety* I was anticipating this process to cause at bay (for the time being). But now it's slowly creeping up on me, not least because all my Fall semester grades are still not on my transcript. Without going into too much detail on the issue, the professors graded me in the classes and everything, but the registrar is currently working on registration for the impending semester and hasn't been able to put them all on my transcript yet. Hence, I haven't sent midyear grade reports for schools.

Did other people who are still in programs send these grades eons ago? Am I screwed? How should I deal with this?

[relatedly, or unrelatedly, my Berkeley departmental application still reads "ready for review, but incomplete" even though all the items we were supposed to turn in there -writing sample, letters, transcripts- are in. does everyone's say this or am I in trouble w/r/t midyear grades?]

If your application is "incomplete" because of the Fall grades, then the school will not consider your application until the file is complete- it will be moved down the pile until the file is complete. I am basing this off several adcom members I've talked to.

If it's just a matter of not having Fall grades and your application is complete, you're fine.

[Rose]

Possibly my reference to the Berkeley app was confusing. None of my other applications read "incomplete" (and no one from Berkeley has contacted me, so I'm inclined to think that the "incomplete" message is a glitch) and my big concern was whether the application would be functionally incomplete or at an extreme disadvantage without these grades, since if the registrar's assessment of needing another week or more to get the grades in is correct, some decisions should already be back by then. Mostly there seems to be a lack of systematic information about this particular step in the process--possibly because most folks aren't still in school?

[GopherGrad]

In my opinion, your application will not be disadvantaged by missing the grades unless something in particular about the classes you took would fill in some missing piece.

I'd write Berkeley to ask what's missing. Their deadline was Dec. 2, if I recall, and they may be closing in on decisions. Check your recommenders, too; aside from my big recommendation problem, I found that one of my letter writers had not quite completed the submission process at a couple schools. I was just a missed "submit" click, but one app registered as incomplete because of it.

[Charlie2010]

You should ask what is incomplete and get it in by Monday. Missing fall grades are common, so that won't count against you. Otherwise strong applications get reviewed even if a letter or something is missing, but if your app is marginal, then this is enough to drop you out of consideration.

[DRT23]

Hi, I need some help for this issue. Although my applications are shown as complete in my every application, one of the schools (Princeton) specifies that midyear grades can be sent via email when they are available. Fall grades have been made available recently and I don't know if it is late now for sending them. Even if I decide to send them now, I need at least three days to get a document from the school. The note for midyear grades in Princeton's web page says it can be unofficial. So, does it mean I can write my grades in a MS Word document and then send it to them or do I still need to get transcript from my school (which is a slow process)?

I know from the posts in this topic that my situation is not alarming but I'm still ambivalent. So, what do you think?

[Rose]

I submitted my grades to Princeton a few weeks ago and just used an "unofficial transcript" sent in via email (be careful with this--there are very specific instructions you have to follow w/r/t the emailing of documents, details of which are on the princeton graduate admissions website). By "unofficial transcript" I mean just a pdf of my grades in our online grading system. I imagine you could also do a screenshot (and anecdotally, for other applications I've submitted--not in this round--I've used copy/pasted grades in a word document).

It's not ideal, but I would send something in that form asap and then possibly call their office on Monday to ask if submitting something more formal is required. Not sure what your school situation is, but 3 days sounds like an awfully long time to get grades out. It might be too late, but my thought process was more that I would be kicking myself if I didn't send them *and* didn't get in because it *might* have made a difference.

Hope that helps.

[DRT23]

Thank you, Rose. I put a screenshot of my grades listed on the school's online grading system and wrote a translation (from Turkish to English) and sent it as a PDF file via emial. I hope it works. But I sent this to only Princeton since it is the only one that specifies sending midyear grades.