<p>Hey guys im a student in 10th grade(CBSE) from a smallish city of india, and i have some pretty unusual circumstances. I moved from the US about 6 months ago, after living basically my whole life there, due to some very difficult situations my mother and I were facing. I arrived in mid august, and started school immediately. Somehow I managed to pass my mid term exams. The CBSE curriculum is great and IMO its much better than schools in the states. Other than that it's been a huge culture shock and language is a big problem (although my hindi is getting better day by day). I'm slowly getting adjusted but it's a little more difficult than if i were in some metro city.</p>
<p>Right now I'm preparing for my 10th boards and have been mulling about my future. I am thinking about going back to the states for college. I was wondering about the whole process other than the SAT scores. How do universities judge grades we get in school? I know it's a huge factor in the states, but grading is so different here and it's much harder to fetch marks here. Any other information regarding the application process would be helpful as well.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help, and im sorry for the essay!</p>
<p>Well, grades are by far the most important factor for admission. After all, at the end of the day, you’re going to a university for academics, right?</p>
<p>You know, you’re facing a wonderful opportunity: change. Colleges love when students are tossed about, thrown out of their comfort zone and challenged. If you can cut through the problems and be the best, it will impress colleges more than anything. This is because adaptability is a huge part of life at college and when you can show that at this crucial time, then it will be in your favor.</p>
<p>I agree that it’s much harder to get marks in CBSE (when compared to schools in the states or International schools) but that is only because the latter have grade inflation. The most important things for you to keep in mind are:</p>
<p>[ul]
[<em>] Keep those grades up. By up, I mean 85%+
[</em>] Please get a good counselor. Counselors in small towns/private schools with low funding may not be able to help you to the fullest. Needless to say, public schools don’t have any counselors. The best way to overcome this impediment is to be informed. At all times. College Confidential is a good source. But take each advice (including this) with a pinch of salt. NEVER hesitate in emailing colleges about ANYTHING you might want to know - from if they have a harry potter club to if they offer a particular major.
[li] If there is a paucity of opportunities for extra-curriculars, then choose one thing - perhaps two. Put all your extra energy/time/passion into it. I recommend that you see the pictures here: [The</a> illustrated guide to a Ph.D.](<a href=“Matt Might: Not found”>The illustrated guide to a Ph.D.) Instead of imagining it as a PhD, try to think of it how you should be involved in that one (or two) extracurricular(s). I hope I am making sense right now.[/li][/ul]</p>
<p>Tell me if there is something else you would like to know, or if you need a different dimension of opinion on your original question.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks alot that really helps. I’ve been doing pretty well getting more than 75% on all tests in the second term so far which as i can see is a good score here, however in the states its bad, so do colleges understand that? Also i’ve seen posts by some people that they were getting in the 60 to 80% range but managed to get into some top schools. BTW where do you plan on goin to school? Where have u applied?</p>
<p>Yes, they do understand that. You should be doing good in the context of your environment. Eg. If 75% is the top marks in your school, you should be getting close/around that. An upward trend in marks is always promising :)</p>
<p>Well, an application is a complete thing. Not just based on marks. The people who got in with 60%-80% shine somewhere else through their application</p>
<p>The states.</p>
<p>12 schools in total. 4 public schools. 4 Ivys. And 4 Private schools. Most schools names’ start with a ‘C’. ;)</p>
<p>Sorry for barging in and being off-topic, but Tizil7, thanks for posting that link (The illustrated guide to a Ph.D.). It really puts things into perspective and pushes you to to achieve more :)</p>
<p>I was intrigued by it as well when I saw it for the first time :)</p>
<p>It’s one of those moments when you realize what going on around you. Then you realize that it’s been going on for such a long time. Then you realize you’ll perhaps do the same. Then you realize the insignificance of it all. Then you learn to appreciate the intangible smaller pleasures in life :p</p>