“4. Unlike U.S. schools, admission may be “conditional” on achieving predicted scores. If you are in IB, getting 6’s and 7’s on your final exams may be part of the condition of final acceptance. This can be very challenging.”
In the US, matriculation eligibility can be dependent on finishing strong, and is stated as provisional - based on the final transcript being received and reflecting the credentials of the candidate-applicant.
^ Yes, but in reality, admission is only rescinded if there are major issues that show up. Flunking out the second half of your senior your will get you rescinded. Getting a B+ instead of an A won’t. But if Oxbridge admits you conditional on getting 7/7/6 in your HLs or A-levels and you end up with 6/6/6, your offer will be withdrawn. That’s much more stringent, and it’s made explicit: either get these specific scores (or higher) or else. Very different.
As has been mentioned above, acceptance can be unconditional for unusually strong applicants who have already met testing requirements. And the final testing requirements are customized based on the strength of the applicant, with lesser testing scores listed for applicants who have a stronger background.
Agreed, @ renaissancedad, though it should be noted that many science and language courses are 4 years, not 3. That’s why they refer to your cohort by year of intake, not year of completion (it’s not ‘class of 2015’, b/c not everybody finishes in the same year)
Excellent discussion here. The only thing I have to add is that I have described my d’s experience with the process in some detail if you look at my responses.