<p>Hello,
I'm following an IB course and here are my grades so far into year 11 (in IB it's called grade 12 actually but I said 11th because in the US I think that's what you call the year before last):</p>
<p>English Higher: 6/7 (6 out of 7)
French Higher: 6/7
History Higher: 7/7
Geo Standard: 6/7
Ecosystems: 6/7
Maths Standard: 5/7</p>
<p>Is this good enough for top schools, purely grade-wise? Also let me point out I am severely lopsided in my present abilities: Sciences are a no-no for me, while I seem to have great facility in languages and humanities. So I'm not taking any 'real' sciences apart from maths which unfortunately is compulsory.</p>
<p>Also, my extra-curriculars include: guitar lessons, aikido lessons, skiing instructor for the UN (I will follow a course with the UN to become one), and scuba diving (hopefully this year I'll follow courses to become a Divemaster or Rescue Diver).</p>
<p>Tell me what you think (constructively if possible, i.e. tell me how I could improve..) Thanks!</p>
<p>You need to check the requirements of the schools you are looking at. Some require 3 years of science and you could definitely be missing out on that. </p>
<p>Your grades are good, but a lot of people have good grades. I hate to admit it, coming from a fellow IB student, that IB grades doesn't make that much "extra" impact on admissions at most schools. So your GPA would be comparable to most top students.</p>
<p>You should work on standardized testing, getting top scores on those.</p>
<p>Yeah but obviously I'm not going to go to any college that requires science. I'm not going to apply to MIT or anything seeing as how I don't want to become an engineer or anything of the sort. What would like to do, however, is law: Good average pay, potential for great pay, interesting, branches off into all kinds of things, and most importantly does not require any sciences or maths (apart from basic maths to calculate how much you're going to rip your client off this time, :P ).
So yeah I'm thinking of applying to Durham or Oxford, mainly. There's no way I'm going to the US seeing as how you people require SATs, which I would definitely get a low score on seeing as how the maths section is obligatory (which I think is stupid but I'm not here to change North America's educational system, so..)</p>
<p>Anyway I also think it's worth to mention that I did one GCSE, Higher English, and I got three A's on that.</p>
<p>Also, are my extra-curriculars good enough?</p>
<p>And yes I know grades aren't that important per se in the final phases of being considered for admission, i.e. they aren't the be all and end all, but really they are extremely important as if you don't have the required grades they won't even consider your application. So what my question about grades was (I'll rephrase it): Are my grades good enough to make it to the later stages of the admission 'filtering' process in top schools?</p>
<p>Based on you wrote above your predicted grades would be about 36, not including TOK and EE points. That's a little on the low end. Conditional offers for top schools generally run 36-38+. I would say your grades are on the borderline.</p>
<p>EC's aren't that important for UK schools. But yes they are good.</p>
<p>36? Borderline??? That low?
Wow I would've thought my predicted grade was higher based on what I wrote... I mean my grades are honor roll material... Anyway I can't be expected to get 7's all the time either, that's nigh impossible considering I don't want to be working and studying 24/7.
36... Damn, that does suck.</p>
<p>Oh wait if it means anything my average for TOK is 7... Lol I don't think that matters to anyone though.</p>
<p>TOK only counts in GPA. The final calculation of IB scores consists of your exam results from your 6 classes and the 3 possible extra points based on TOK and EE. There is a matrix that describes the results need for your TOK essay and extended essay. </p>
<p>Right now you have:
English Higher: 6/7 (6 out of 7)
French Higher: 6/7
History Higher: 7/7
Geo Standard: 6/7
Ecosystems: 6/7
Maths Standard: 5/7</p>
<p>Which is
HL: 6/6/7
Sl: 6/6/5
= 36 points</p>
<p>If you achieve 3 extra points, which would mean A on TOK and A or B on EE or B on TOK and A on EE then you would have 39 points. </p>
<p>I would say for top universities that's a little low. The most recent graduate from my school to go to Oxford had 44 points I believe, 43 or 44. </p>
<p>I think some schools do not count your TOK/EE points. </p>
<p>No one is saying you need all 7s, but there are great number of students who achieve very high marks. The IB is difficult. Trust me I know. I'm in the process of finishing my EE, due in 9 days. I know about working. But it takes a lot of work to do well.</p>
<p>You are doing well, much better than average. I looked up average IB scores</p>
<p>Group 1: A1 Language: 5.0
Group 2: A2/B/ab initio Language: 5.3
Group 3: Individuals and Societies: 4.8
Group 4: Experimental Science: 4.6
Group 5: Mathematics and Computer Science: 4.7
Group 6: Arts: 4.4</p>
<p>Those average scores would give a without bonus total of 28.8 points. You have 36. Big difference. I wouldn't be too worried. You are doing fine.</p>
<p>mmyeah I guess but not well enough for Durham or Oxford, I gather.
I mean, I have to compete with really hard-working asian kids who study 24/7, have perfect grades, are class presidents/valedictorians and all that (I said asian kids because generally they are really hard-working students... Again, I say 'generally').</p>
<p>I think that's being a little stereotypical. But it is true you have to compete with people who work really hard, I won't lie to you on that. I work my ass off to do well in the IB program and my grades definitely show that. And I'm not Asian either. It's a personal choice. We all have to compete with hard workers. Its part of life.</p>
<p>I'm just curious as to where you're from. (Just the use of the 11 vs. 12 year system. I live in Switzerland and that's what we use over here.) You don't need 44 points to get into oxford or cambridge. That's wrong. About 70% of my school applies to the english system. One of my friends just got an offer for 39 points to get into cambridge medical school. This is a 'low' offer but certainly not rare. 36 points is not bad, but you should really be aiming for a couple 7's if you want to get into a really good uni. You might have trouble with the states because several schools don't count ecosystems as a course at all. You would have to look that up before you continue. You should be fine for many schools though.</p>
<p>I never said you needed 44 points, only that the students I know who have recently gone on to Oxford had those scores. 36 is quite low for Oxford, depending on what subject you are aiming for.</p>
<p>Oh, I agree that 36 is quite low. I've just never heard of anyone getting a 44 point offer. It's a bit rediculous to ask for I think. I beleive the minimum is 38 if there's something else that's truly exceptional about you. However, bar that I think you really need 39 and up.</p>
<p>schoenhs I'm from switzerland as well. What's up with the American 12 year system anyway? Are there really only 12 years total or does the first year of school not count in the US?</p>
<p>And I've read up on Durham law and they generally require 38-40 points... Which of course is higher than my estimate.
Much higher, it seems, seeing as I just got a 4 in ecosystems (not my semester grade, just for a half-assed piece of homework I did). Ouch. Looks like it's going to be a hard trek up to those 7s...</p>
<p>The reason for the American 12 year system is that our year one is kindergarten in the states. By the way, you don't happen to go to chat do you?</p>
<p>Hey I just wanted to comment on you not wanting to go to MIT becuz you dont want to do sciences.....
You should know that MIT humanities are exceptional (Its just that MIT is more known as a tech school :))</p>
<p>Nah schoenhs I go to CDL why do you go to chat?
And CH121S, really? They are? Hmm maybe I should check it out.. If what you said is true then MIT must be some truly damn amazing uni to be 'exceptional' at humanities AND world-renowned for tech and sciences...</p>