@soze It doesn’t make much of a difference if his school is rigorous or not. In the British curriculum, your exams are EXTERNALLY marked (IGCSE & AS/A2 Level).
OP: Your IGCSE grades are excellent but your AS grades not so much. But if your school puts your internal grades on your transcript, that may help you if they’re higher than your official AS grades. Your A2 predictions are great so that counts as an upward trend, which is good. You did challenge yourself by taking 5 AS levels and 4 A Levels (why though? its too much IMO) so the adcoms will recognize that. If the pupils in your school under-perform in external exams, adcoms will take that into consideration as they look at your grades within the context of your school - so if you’re doing better than the majority of the people in your school, your grades won’t significantly hinder your chances at any of these universities.
congrats. I think you sound incredibly self-disciplined and unique (in a good way). It’s a bit late now, but Bard could have been a fitting safety for you. You are also quite young…16? If things don’t pan out, you could consider a constructive gap year, or a school with rolling admissions and then transfer. There are some really interesting unorthodox ones like St. John’s College w/campuses in Santa Fe, NM & Annapolis, MD. Then there is Parsons The New School but NYC is expensive.
@pink997 I just felt that I needed an even balance between the sciences, maths, and English. Plus it’s a slight disadvantage at some colleges if you haven’t taken them (Wes, for example.)
also @soze Actually, many of my classmates (probably more than half) have failed at least one of their AS exams. Some failed several repeatedly. Most people don’t do well, even though most are at least a year older than I am. But maybe only one or two are applying to a few of the same colleges I am, and I don’t know if my school would have included the overall class prowess in the school profile. I’ve had at least two teachers for each subject in the past two years, and for a while we didn’t even have an English teacher in AS. Teachers keep leaving.
@bsalum I had been considering a trip to Japan as a gap year, but I think I probably want to start college first… I’m not 100% sure. Thanks for the compliments and suggestions, though.
I also received my A Level results today. The A2 subscores were AACC for Physics, Bio, Math, Chemistry, and the combined results are ABBD (excluding A for AS English). Will be retaking Math and Chem. Super worried that this will completely destroy my chances.
@soze It does but not when the grades that are on his transcript are externally marked. I worded that incorrectly, my bad! As in, his/her grades are not awarded by his school so adcoms won’t look at his grades and discredit them because his school is unrigorous. Adcoms will easily be able to compare his grades to other applicants that are applying with IGCSE and A Level grades since its all standardized and not issued by any of those applicants schools. Now if those grades were issued by his school, then adcoms would definitely question the rigour of his school. And sure, if his school is rigorous his/her grades would likely be higher as he/she would have been better prepared for the exams but nonetheless, adcoms will look at his grades within the context of his school.
Hope I made myself clear.
@avix215 Well, the ABB is good but that D. Which subject did you get that D in? If its a subject that your weak at, the admission officers may be more forgiving but I wouldn’t count on it since its a D ehh (not trying to come off as rude!). Study hard for maths and chemistry for the next couple of months - you’re probably going to retake in May right? But before you commit yourself to retaking, email each college you want to apply to and ask them how they view retakes - some colleges may discredit retakes, you don’t want all your hard work to count for nothing.
@pink997 the D was in Chemistry, something I dislike with a fervent passion and have zero intention to make a career out of. I had expected low grades, though. I had nearly 24 hours of exams spread out over 1.5 months (A Levels, 3 SATII tests, the SAT, and my JLPT N3). Had to sacrifice one subject to let the others breathe.
In addition, I technically scored a C in Chemistry in A2. The D is the aggregate of AS and A2.
Also, according to the CIE and Fulbright websites, a D equals a C and a C equals a B in the American system.
Yeah, May retake. I will definitely contact them, thanks.
@soze I’m definitely aware of holistic admissions but unlike you, I’m also aware of how the admission process works for people that study the British curriculum - our grades are issued in a different manner. Most applicants that apply with IGCSE and A levels grades only apply with their external grades (as in their transcript only comprises of their external grades). In these cases, the applicants school has chosen to only present external grades on the transcript (which they’re allowed to do since its a different curriculum) so please do tell me how admission officers can review this sort of applicants grades ‘‘holistically’’ - as you can see they can’t, they can only judge them based on their external grades.
Now if a school also chooses to send in internal grades, it’s a completely different matter. Then yes in that case, admission officers would look at both the applicants internal and external grades and would review the applicants grades ‘‘holistically’’. In the case of the OP, the admission officers will only see the external grades he got.
There are multiple data points that they take into consideration: grades, test scores, school reputation, extra-curricular activities, strength of schedule, etc.
You’re suggesting that they will ignore anything that they might know about the school or its reputation simply because the grades he received are on external examinations.
This is false.
I’m even more convinced you really don’t get at all how holistic admissions work, but that’s ok you’re not expected to know everything (you only think you do).
Your SAT II’s are a bit rough, your grades are fairly solid (nothing that’ll keep you out of those schools), and your ECs are good. The being published as a hook is fantastic and will really give you some clout. That, along with the essay should get you in. I think you stand a great chance at any of those schools!
@Ericthenewyorker emails were sent to those living outside the US yesterday. I was pretty surprised; hadn’t expected them for another month.
@Anonymoose3 @BarcaUnited97 thanks for chancing! Bit worried because I was Waitlisted at Kenyon though. If I couldn’t get in there, I probably won’t get into the other two either.
