<p>Hey guys!
first of all congratulations to everyone who got in for this coming fall!!
& two questions for anyone who's done IB?
first of all, as a junior in IB, I apply for uni this fall which means they only have our report cards & I was wondering do american universities look at predicted grades? & how much weight is put on these? ( I was just reading a thread about how they don't actually look at the official grades you get in May, just the predicted..)</p>
<p>Also, for the admissions essay, everyone says it's EXTREMELY important as it's really what differentiates you and what not. So when they say for example, Why Penn?, are they looking for the students' interest in a course/ specific professors/ showing that we know about Penn's history etc..</p>
<p>Thanks so much for any information!</p>
<p>hi! i was admitted to the Penn class of 2015, and i completed the IB as an international student. yes, they ‘look at’ predicted grades but 1) the predicted grades only form part of your Secondary School Transcript as a whole, meaning that being predicted 45 points cannot make up for a weak record and vice versa; and 2) yes the essays are important! also, seeing as they’re predicted (based on someone’s judgement), any university is less likely to put a huge amount of importance on it. this is especially so because some schools tend to be overly generous, whereas others are stingy, so they are not the best indicator of a student’s academic potential.</p>
<p>having said that, i know of people who scored 45 points but did not get in. so while academic performance is really important, try not to get hung up on the scores (IB or otherwise), because believe it or not, they don’t tell all. when they ask Why Penn, they are looking for just that – they honestly want to know Why Penn! you seem really keen on Penn, so turn that question around and ask it to yourself, and maybe you’ll come up with some ideas. sincerity is always a good idea in college admissions.</p>
<p>all the best!</p>