With the Parcoursup calendar deadlines, stress increases and late realizations increase anxiety: will my grades be enough? How do I make up for my academic missteps? What if my high school years ruined my record? It’s easy to imagine the questions that plague young people as the end of their final year approaches. Because although baccalaureate results can obviously tip the scales, they are not the only determining elements. Here are some ways to counterbalance poor academic results.
1/Raise your average
Above all, it is not because there are a few dark spots on the board that we should give up! Let us remember that all the academic results obtained in Première and Terminale are examined by higher education. Some may even ask to study the Secondary file! From then on, high school students have even more opportunities to compensate for their wanderings and mishaps.
Whatever the moment of this awareness, it is therefore not too late to take serious action and increase your average or at least show a real desire for progress and work, which could give rise to positive evaluations from teachers…
2/The right attitude
We must not underestimate the importance of teachers’ comments and, more generally, the assessment of behavior throughout the high school years. In the age of intelligent algorithms, certain training courses – a fortiori the most selective and popular – do not hesitate to exclude candidates deemed not very hardworking or rigorous on the basis of certain key words, such as “insufficient work”, “repeated absences”, “frequent lateness”, “inattention”, ” indiscipline”, etc. You should in fact keep in mind that the Parcoursup file includes a “Future sheet” which summarizes not only school grades but also teacher evaluations. So it’s better to have praise than reprimands, it can make the difference!
3/Motivated, motivated!
Academic results don’t tell the whole story about a student. This is why it is essential to value extracurricular experiences. The Parcoursup file allows us to highlight the multiple strengths of high school students outside of the classroom thanks to the “Activities and interests” section. This is an opportunity to talk about your passions, travel, odd jobs that taught you the rigor of work, a sporting commitment demonstrating fierce determination or even volunteer work synonymous with dedication.
Along the same lines, the “motivated training project” required in the Parcoursup file allows students to show their aspirations by explaining why they want to join this or that training. Be careful not to settle for a general copy-paste letter! Each orientation wish must be carefully justified in relation to the professional project. Here too, the mention of extracurricular experiences related to the desired field will be an added value.
4/Realistic choices
The Parcoursup mix is so important that it is strongly recommended that all high school students make several orientation wishes. Even students with an excellent record are not guaranteed a place in the course of their dreams! Suffice to say that with rather average or even low academic results, it is imperative to protect one’s back by making varied and realistic choices… Since this system allows you to formulate up to 10 different wishes and 20 sub-wishes, it does not so don’t deprive yourself of it.
Finally, let us remember that if the first phase of Parcoursup takes place in the spring, the complementary admission phase which opens in mid-June allows high school students who are late, disappointed or refused to formulate new wishes. One more reason not to give up until the end!