Explaining Bad Scores

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Hey!</p>

<p>I'm a 2nd Year Pre-Univ student from India and I'm applying to some Ivies, MIT, GATech, CMU, Purdue and USC. Currently, I'm in a huge predicament and I'd be really grateful for any help. Here's my situation: </p>

<p>I have got 80% in 9th and 90% in 10th grade board(external/leaving) exams,(both in ICSE.) But after 10th, I shifted to PUC(Karnataka.) There is difference between these in curriculum and in the kind of evaluation and answering. ICSE is more about applying what you know but PUC is more about what you can memorize and throw out on the exam. It's a very crude way to describe it, but that's the truth. We're expected to just mug up everything i the textbook and write the things as it is, because most of the teachers who correct our papers in the board exams come from rural areas and aren't qualified enough to evaluate your own answers if they're right. I wasn't used to this type of evaluation and it was hard for me to get a hang of it. More over, I was(and still am) enrolled in am IIT-JEE prep course, which is excruciating. So, I got a horrible 65% in 1st year PUC. But, now that I'm kind of used to it, I am sure I can get 90%+ in my 2nd PUC boards, which my counsellor will put in my predicted scores part of the transcript.</p>

<p>My question: Can I explain this in my application? Will I sound like a whiner and cast a negative effect on my app? Is this an acceptable reason for that huge dip in my scores?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for your time!</p>

<p>PS: Can I submit my pre-boards exam scores, which take place in Jan, as my mid-year report?</p>

2

<p>Anybody???</p>

3

<p>Sure You can explain it. But it should come across as what you say, that due to a shift to different curriculum, you took time to settle down to the new system and now that you have figured it out you expect to get better grades. and you are working very hard to fix it. You realise how or what you need to change or adjust to and you have a plan and you are going to follow it. And if you can show your most recent monthly or semester test scores, and if they are better than 1st PUC scores that would support your explanation to some extent.</p>

4

<p>Alright. Thanks a lot, anialways! :smiley: Can I submit my December or January pre-board test scores?</p>

5

<p>Yes you may submit December or January scores.</p>

6

<p>Phew! Thanks anialways! :)</p>