A student earns a couple of disappointing grades, and the family’s attention turns to the summer. Perhaps a research project would help. Or an internship, a leadership position or another competition. The thinking is straightforward: If one part of the college application looks weaker, perhaps another part can make up for it.
It’s an understandable response. Families spend years hearing that colleges evaluate applicants holistically, considering everything from academic performance to extracurricular involvement. So when grades slip, the instinct is often to strengthen something else.
Of course, college admissions doesn’t quite work that way.
At highly selective colleges, academic performance remains central. Admissions officers consider grades alongside course rigor, academic trajectory and the opportunities available at a student’s school. A few Bs are not necessarily disqualifying. One recent AcceptU student, for example, earned two Bs (in AP classes) in high school and was admitted to a top 10 university.
Context matters. A student who struggles in one particularly demanding course presents a different picture from someone whose grades decline across several subjects. Colleges also want to see how students respond to challenges. Improving grades over time can tell them more than another activity on a resume.
But families sometimes become so focused on how colleges will interpret a disappointing grade or two that they overlook what caused it in the first place.
A student struggling in chemistry may need a tutor. Another may be adjusting to a new school or juggling too many commitments, or simply be taking too many advanced courses. Adding a research project to an already demanding schedule may be the last thing that student needs.
There is also something worth considering about how extracurricular activities have evolved in the admissions process.
Colleges look at activities to understand who students are outside the classroom. They want to see how students spend their time, what interests them and where they’ve demonstrated commitment or initiative. These activities provide context that grades and test scores cannot.
But as families have become more familiar with what colleges value, they’ve also become more deliberate about pursuing those qualities. Research projects, nonprofit organizations, leadership positions and internships have become common features of applications to selective colleges.
That creates a challenge for admissions officers. A research project might reflect a student’s genuine curiosity, or it might be something pursued primarily because it looks impressive. The more students shape their activities around what they think colleges reward, the harder it becomes to distinguish between the two.
And for students already struggling academically, this approach can make matters worse. Instead of addressing the underlying problem, families may add more responsibilities to an already crowded schedule.
There’s a broader tendency here that extends beyond college admissions. When something goes wrong, we’re often inclined to respond by doing more. Another activity, another accomplishment, another credential. Sometimes the better response is to reconsider what’s already on the calendar.
Extracurricular achievement can certainly help a student stand out, even with imperfect grades. But it rarely erases serious academic concerns.
A disappointing grade can also tell a family something useful. Perhaps a student needs additional support, has taken on too much or is discovering that their interests lie elsewhere. Those are things worth understanding, regardless of how they might eventually appear on a college application.
Marc is the author of Untangling the Ivy League, a best-selling guidebook on the Ancient Eight. He earned a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Marc chaired the admissions ambassadors at Cornell and the admissions advisory board at UNC.
