I shifted to the US after my Freshman Year in India, there I went to a very competitive private school, So my grades were quite low, My high school in the US converted my grades from India to all B’s, So I had a freshman year GPA of 3.0
Here in the US, my sophomore year just ended and I got a 3.93(Weighted) in my 1st semester(I got 2 B’s because I was adjusting to the system here) and now I got a 4.21 GPA in my second semester.
I plan on getting all A’s in my Junior year and my GPA for that year can go as high as 4.43
But because of my Freshman year grades, my cumulative GPA would only be 3.63(Unweighted) and 3.9(Weighted).
How will it affect my college Application? Will top colleges like the ivies take into consideration of my grades in my freshman year?
I have been very stressed about this for a long time, I hope I can get an answer
Thanks!
When you apply to college, you will send your foreign transcript as well as your US transcript. The colleges that are familiar with your previous educational system will use that information to help interpret your freshman year grades.
Meanwhile, expand your list beyond “top colleges like the ivies”. There are a lot of colleges and universities out there that could be good places for you to study.
Ohk thanks! So I also have to send my report card from my foreign school?
Didn’t know that…
I would love to expand my list beyond the Ivies, But they are my only option.
Because they are the only type of colleges that give financial aid to international students, otherwise for all the other colleges, I at least have to pay around 40k/year which my family cannot afford…
So I need financial aid and the Ivies are the only ones that provide one for me…
First of all, a 3.0 avg isn’t all that bad.
Secondly, colleges want to know that you are capable of doing college level work.
If you do better as you take harder classes, they will know you are ready for college.
Junior and Senior year try to take some AP classes.
From what I understand, admissions don’t simply look at your GPA, but at your transcript, a transcript which had a 3.0 GPA for freshman year, and over 3.9 for the next three years would likely be considered as being more like a 3.9+ GPA than as a 3.68 GPA. The fact that those 3.9+ GPAs were achieved after ,moving from overseas could also play very well in your favor.
As others have pointed out, your 3.0 from your freshman year will be considered in the context of the GPAs at your previous high school, not as though they were achieved in your present high school.
Finally - how are affording high school in the USA?
If you will have permanent resident status when you apply to college, you will be a US applicant for admissions purposes (you will still need to send the foreign transcript), you will almost certainly have in-state residence for tuition and fees purposes, and you will be a US applicant for financial aid purposes.
What state do you live in?
In some states, students who graduate from high schools in that state are considered in-state residents for tuition and fees no matter what their immigration status is. This can vary from one public college or university to the next within a state. So find out what the policies are in the state where you live.
What, if anything, can your family afford to pay? If you find out that you are in-state, can they cover the costs of two years at a community college and two years at a public university?
The Net Price Calculators at the college and university websites are not particularly accurate for international applicants. However if your parents only have US-based income, they will give you a rough estimate of what your costs can be.
There are many colleges and universities in the US that do have financial aid for international students. Some is solely need-based, and some is merit-based. While, there is no one easy list of these places, you have time on your side and can start coming up with a list for yourself. Read through the International Students Forum and the Financial Aid Forum, and run some simple Google searches for international scholarship UNIVERSITYNAMEHERE.
Thanks, Everyone for the responses
Here are some answers to the common questions…
So my immigration status is that I am on an L2 visa,
I live in Georgia,
I am not sure about my major but most probably I will go with something related to Business Technology.
I am planning to take all the AP classes I can,
My first preference is to study on a scholarship or financial aid but if not
My family can afford around $12000-$15000 Per Year max
I have researched more and found out that there are some other good colleges that give financial aid to international students other than the Ivies like Vanderbilt and Emory.
I think I can apply to some colleges in Georgia as an In-state student…
My main concern was my GPA, and I think i have got my answer now, thanks again to everyone for answering my query.
First, find out if Georgia universities treat HS graduates as “in state for tuition purpose”; some universities may, others may not.
In addition, learn whether you’d be eligible for Zell Miller and/or HOPE. Those are scholarships for Georgia residents and are based on GPA&test scores.
Second, a lot of “financial aid” is merit based, ie., you need a high score on the SAT or ACT. Many universities don’t consider your status when it comes to merit aid, just whether you meet their “merit” criteria. Some are automatic (such as UAlabama’s), others are competitive.
Finally, other universities with financial aid for international students include lots of LACs so look into those, too. (Look at USNWR National Liberal Arts College rankings - most Indians don’t know about this list because they don’t offer PHDs, but the colleges there are extremely competitive and prestigious, too.)
Being Indian, your odds of being admitted to the Ivy League are minuscule: you know how many talented young people there are in India, while only ~5-6 Indians will be admitted per college. Some will be admitted to multiple colleges, some will be full pay, so that your odds are perhaps 1%, at best. Therefore, you need to find other solutions.