GPA for international applicants

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'll be applying to MIT this year as an international student and was hoping somebody could help me out.</p>

<p>The thing is that I have a really low GPA of 3.2. But then so does everybody else in my class. Despite this low GPA I've always been in the top 1-2% of my class. In India this is a really good GPA because everybody screws up in 11th grade and there is huge grade deflation. My marks\grades also seem to wildly fluctuate and I was a bit concerned that MIT doesn't see it as inconsistency.
In 9th grade I scored 90%, in 10th grade 95% (national exams), in school exams I did miserably (80%-85%), in 11th grade 86%. But in India this is kind of normal because the schools really make tough exams in 10th (to prepare us for the national exams - 'Boards') and in 11th (for apparently no reason). </p>

<p>I'm not too sure if MIT will accept me because the average GPA of freshmen last year was 3.89 (Common Dataset)! Apart from academics, my ECs and recommendations will be good so no problems there :)</p>

<p>What should I do? Should I send a note explaining the above stuff?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>P.S. - In case you haven't realised - I'm from INDIA.</p>

2

<p>bump
bump
bump</p>

3

<p>If you were from the US you would have a fighting chance. As an international student.. much less so.</p>

<p>Most people who get in from India are at the top of their country, and probably have international olympiad medals to their name.</p>

4

<p>Well i guess it doesn't make sense for me to apply to MIT then, with such a low GPA. :(</p>

5

<p>the GPA is fine, the 1%-2% is what matters, not the number GPA. I'm just saying that your chances of getting in internationally without awesome ECs are low. But I would apply and write good essays, you certainly aren't disqualified from your GPA</p>

6

<p>ohh ok,i get it now</p>

<p>u see i wasn't sure abt the gpa</p>

<p>i know abt the ecs bit, but hopefully i'll get in to atleast one good college!</p>

7

<p>where in india are you from?</p>