how important is the highschool transcript?

<p>omfg I got my report showing my grades for my finals today. They are really bad. Really really bad.
My curriculum is not well known around the world - it's like the new zealand curriculum thing..
So, since the adcoms wont be familiar with my curriculum, would they base the highschool transcript not as heavily as they base it on students who have taken cambridge or IB or stuff that's well known?
Or would the 'weighing' be the same for me?
I hate all my school reports :(</p>

<p>NoFX - i remember some1 on the indian thread mention that his/her interviewer said that US colleges emphasize SATs etc. more for intl than their school academics because of difference in educational systems. For example: In my country there are some schools where the top ranker gets 99% and then there are some where the top ranker gets 70%. Also, it will change from country to country.</p>

<p>I wont sweat too much about it. Also, most of these top colleges would understand tht we were busy writing those stupid essays and give SATs to study for school. You'll be fine...</p>

<p>Wow adides - you just made my day.</p>

<p>i beg to differ. the transcript is the number one most important thing anywhere in your application. it's true that educational systems differ from country to country, but then they will always compare your transcript with applicants from the same school as you. which simply means that the only way you might get away is if everyone else who applies to the same school gets the same terrible grades.</p>

<p>yeah but then the problem is that they only see the transcripts of the people who applied from your school..
i probably have the worst gpa among the people from my school who are applying to the same colleges as me...dang it:(</p>

<p>your class rank is imp</p>

<p>Hello - where do you attend?</p>

<p>class rank is VERY important. because they give the adcom a rough idea of how YOU compare with other applicants from your school.</p>

<p>How does a 5/100 rank sound? My GPA is 3.75 (93%) and the other folks are like 4 (95%).</p>

<p>as adides mentioned, my pton interviewer said unequivocally that they lay more importance on class rank and test scores than the actual grades or gpa on your transcript. I dont know what the situation is like in other schools though...
Oooh I hope they look at all the applicants from my school all together;my grades dont look fabulous by themselves but they are definitely much better when they are compared with the others grades :)
I really shouldnt be taking pleasure in other people's misfortune...</p>

<p>what if your school doesn't give out class ranks
then do they just look at the applicants from the same school?
would that be an accurate estimate of your ability?
cuz good schools often attract only good students..</p>

<p>at least you get ranks!!! just b happy!!! i don't get ranks, my grades are extremely low, but if they were to rank, i rank about 5 or 4/300+. But can anyone give me anytips????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????</p>

<p>ask your counsellor to mention it</p>

<p>Newby & h88: check your PM</p>

<p>NoFX - tell ya what! You already have your scores. You cant change it - then why stress about it. I am so frustated with this whole 'second guessing' game about admissions - i think we should just let it go.
dude, your scores are what they are and u r what u are. If the admission officers dont appreciate all the other things that you can bring to the table and are hung up on the mid-year scores (which I doubt) they are the suckers in this whole game.
remember, u all are the best applicants these ppl got (superb scores, ECs, multilingual, leadership, and daring enough to go study in another country) and they want u as much as u want them. dont worry about ur scores - most of these ppl would die to have some1 from NZ in their admitting class... my two cents</p>

<p>hey thanks adides! i feel so much better
We have ranks but they are ranks of subjects - like validectorian of biology, stuff like that. I'm 1st for most of my subjects and so I'm kinda ok about that.
I'm sure I'm the only one in my class of 300students to apply to U.S schools.. I hope I hope..
I am desperatly hoping that they emphasize more on standarised tests and ECs for me.</p>

<p>u'll be fine - just look down on us small ppl when yall get into ivies :p</p>

<p>standarised test scores? eugh...they suck for me. I came new to my school this year and iv got the highest GPA in the school's history. more than 30 percent go to the top schools in the U.S every year - nobody has got into HYP though. i hope that makes a difference rather than my crappy SAT score of 1350...</p>

<p>btw. 1 question. I transferred 3 intl schools in the three yrs in highschool across 2 countries. my GPA was 3.85 (UW), 4.0 (UW), 3.85 = 4.42 Weighted in the 9th, 11th and 12th grades. It is a fact that colleges dont know the system very well, so they are a bit skeptical abt the GPAs, but the fact that i have 3 different ones, all of them cant be "wrong". Do you think the adcoms will recognise this, and place more weight on my GPA than on my standardised tests?</p>

<p>hey, blow standardized tests. According to all the Ivies, 'the single most important document in your application is your high school transcript'</p>

<p>don't be worried about scores. your rank in class and GPA is more important.</p>

<p>yep, that's what it says in the pton booklet</p>

<p>I hope I can increase my chances with my classrank.
I rank 1 of 300 students and my school is top 3 of the netherlands. Only I havent SAT scores, must take it in May</p>