<p>I come from an Asian country that follows the British system and grades to the curve (grade inflation is very minimal, much less than in Britain). I can't tell you what the other Asian countries are like, and I should add that I have been very privileged to receive the kind of education I've had - at each level of education here, I've been at the top public schools in my country. So my perspective has been colored by the excellent students I've been surrounded by all my life.</p>
<p>The reason an A is 70% here is simple - our compulsory public education standards are higher.</p>
<p>I've been wondering about this as well, because even as I witness the college frenzy going on on CC, I'm looking at the students we have here and I feel they are much more relaxed about applications than students in the US. Virtually no one is concerned about the SAT - we take it because it's required for admissions. SAT tuition is unheard of. (I realize this is not likely the case in China or Korea.). People borrow the blue book from the library, work through it (sometimes not even then), and that's all. The average SAT score at Andover is in the low 2000s; the typical Singaporean aiming for US universities looks to the high 2100s at least. Many achieve this score on their first try.</p>
<p>I say this not to boast in my own country's education system (and I am aware we have some huge advantages over applicants from both the US and other Asian countries - natively English speaking with strong math foundation - let's not go into whether being good at math is an Asian thing), but to point out that a lot of evidence suggests an A in Singapore is nothing like an A in the US or Canada.</p>
<p>About the actual coursework. You see that a 5 on an AP means a raw score of around 65%. Now just assume all our A Level classes are AP level (and I don't doubt they are - we get credit for them, just as you do for APs). ... Now what's the issue? Fact is, in Singapore, our equivalent of the AP (H2 A Level) isn't even the most rigorous curriculum. </p>
<p>The curriculum of both AP Physics B and C is covered in A Level H2 Physics, while H3 Physics covers relativity, quantum mechanics, ((solid state physics and photonics/quantum theory of light) OR (nuclear physics and sub-atomic particles)). H3 Literature in English, History or Geography require one 3500 word paper, with only a single consultation with a teacher permitted - everything else is done independently by the student (when I say independently, I mean independently. No tutors, no paying people to write essays - it just doesn't work in Singapore - no clandestine additional meetings with the teachers).</p>
<p>So if a student gets an A, it would be equivalent to getting a 5 on both AP Physics B and C. O Level Additional Mathematics covers what AP Calc AB covers, H1 A Level Math (worth 4 credits at most universities except Cal, where I'm told it's worth 8) covers AP Calc AB and AP Stats, H2 A Level Math assumes an O Level A Math background and covers both AP Calc BC and AP Stats. On top of that it also covers conics and complex numbers. (I'm not familiar enough with AP curriculums to know what actually is or isn't taught, I'm going by what I can find on the internet). Granted, the A Level course is two years, but we also have other required components in our education system - mother tongue proficiency by junior year (J1) - not as simple as it sounds because many speak English at home; compulsory PE every year, for another; a "project work" subject in junior year that lasts the whole year.</p>
<p>Hopefully that puts things in perspective for you.</p>
<p>P.S. I'm amazed at the AP World History curriculum. We spend as much time on the Kashmir conflict as you do on the whole of the Renaissance period. Not making any judgement here. It's just really different.</p>
<p>P.P.S. I think you'll find that many of our top candidates at the Ivies have at least comparable EC records to the most competitive domestic applicants, especially when put in context of our workload. I don't know how we find the time. Maybe schoolwork just comes more easily to us (remember, I'm not rolling in money or anything, but I've had what most would consider a privileged education - and yes, only educated in public schools all my life)... the more likely explanation though is that our education system is more centralized (we're a small country) and building a strong academic foundation is strongly emphasized in primary school.</p>