Hello! So I am a junior in the Anerican system currently planning my college application. However previously I was in another school, therefore I will be sending 2 transcripts. The two schools have different systems. When I recieved my transcript from my current school, I saw that I had my 11th grade portion, I then saw that the last two years of my previous school were incorporated and translated into grades 9 and 10 however there were no numbers only “pass”. The weird part is that my counselor said that I will send a transcript from my old school that containes 5 years of coursework (the last two years being incorporated to my current transcript) and that this is done for the colleges to see the credits I obtained. This does not make sense to me because wouldn’t that mean I am sending 7 years of grades while everyone else sends 4? Will only the last two years of my past application be considered? Will all of it be considered? Please help me, thank you.
Colleges will only pay attention to the HS portion of the transcripts. So in your case, the 2 at your current school and the last 2 at your last school.
And, as an aside, your transcript is not weird. What you described is very common practice.
Thank you so much! You have no idea how much it helped because I was honestly so nervous due to the fact that those 3 years of grades were not the best.
Also as a side question, those grades are in a different system. For example I have an 80 in Math but that would be considered an A+ in the American system , will the colleges translate it? How will they know that it needs to be translated? Will they only look at the number grades or the “pass”. I’ve heard that colleges know schools and their systems but the school I went to was in Malta, a very small country.
Also, my counselor said that I need to show all five years to show that I have fulfilled the graduation requirements but then why would my grades for the 3 years matter if they are not considered high school? I just don’t know what that statement means…
Also as a side note, my past transcript has two column’s: exam grade and teacher assesment. Which grade will be used to determine my level (GPA for example)? Will both be used?
Your grades from Malta will be viewed in context. There is no grade conversion, but in general AOs are well aware that countries outside the US do not have the grade inflation that exists in some American high schools.
Perhaps I misunderstood the original question. I assumed, and shame on me for assuming, that your previous school only had the option of submitting a transcript with 5 years on it. In other words, they could not or would not be able to accommodate only providing a transcript showing 2 years. Unless there’s something I’m missing, if the old school can provide a transcript with only 2 years and only classes from those 2 years received transfer credit from your current HS and none of the classes from the first 3 years count toward HS graduation requirements, then I don’t think you really need to submit a 5 year transcript. Regardless, colleges get extraneous information all the time. They will take what they need, and ignore what they don’t need.
Ok so they won’t necessarily calculate a new gpa based on those grades but they will know that for example: the Maltese system is REALLY hard, and grading systems in Malta consider an 80 a perfect grade? The transcript also has two column’s 1 for teacher assesment and 1 for exam grade, how will that be interpreted?
Could you also give me your opinion on my extracurriculars?
I know I’m asking alot but I did not know any of this until a year ago.
Thank you.
My counselor said I must send all five years in order to prove that I meet my current schools graduation requirements, I was confused because my friend only had to send her last two years and was in the same school as me but my counselor said that that’s how the school works. She said quote “we will also send the transcripts from your previous school so that the Universities can see where the transferred courses and grades were derived from.”
Let’s not get carried away. An 80 is not a perfect grade, but they will generally know that an 80 is equivalent to an A. But unless the college recalculate every applicant’s GPA (and most don’t), no, they will not do a special recalculation on your application.
Did you ask a question about your ECs?
I am applying to NYU and I would like to know if these EC are good:
(I had to stop some of these because we moved)
On the no.1 football team in Malta, On my schools volleyball team, elderly home community service, after school drama, participated in world records, have my own website, movie club, 3rd place in an art competition in Malta, Christmas concert.
The ECs look fine
Great! Would you recommend doing more or is it enough for colleges?
In regards to the transcript I tried clarifying it on my #6 reply.
With ECs, quality over quantity, IMO
Do you understand what my counselor is saying?
The colleges I will apply to will receive my current schools transcript which will list all the classes and the credits I have completed and the fact that I am eligible to graduate. They will also send the transcripts from my previous school so that the Universities can see where the transferred courses and grades were derived from.
I just don’t get why those 3 years of grades are going to be used if it’s not high school…
That would mean 7 years of grades would be taken into consideration not 4. Maybe I’m just interpreting the information wrong.
Also, my counselor said that it is up to each school’s discretion to accept any credits that are suitable to match their graduation requirements.
What does that mean?
No, as I said in post 4.
Graduation requirements are set by the high school. Many colleges have recommended HS preparation which exceeds what you need to graduate. Example. You may only need 2 science credits - let’s sat biology and either chem or physics to graduate HS. But the college may request 3 or 4 years of science in HS. It is generally listed on their Common Data Set in section C5. Here is NYU’s:
https://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/institutionalResearch/documents/CDS_2017-2018.pdf
It’s not uncommon for the new hs to incorporate old grades in their transcript. But didn’t you say yours only included “pass?” Sounds like your counselor is offering to send the original documents she has, so a college can see more than “pass.”
No, an adcom may not perfectly understand that an 80 in Malta equates to “excellent” performance (IF it does.) Usually, when a former hs has a grade scale different than the US, they submit a school profile that explains grading tiers. (Eg, in some international schools, an 85 is an A. In many casess, a 92 may be a B.) That informs adcoms. If your GC has this, she can send it to colleges. If not, you may need to ask the formr hs for it.
So what if extra years are included? Adcoms will only look at what they need- most always, 9th-12th. They can ignore the rest. You shouldn’t be hung up on this. Lots of hs in the US also send 6-12 or 7-12 and adcoms still only focus on 9-12.
“discretion to accept any credits that are suitable to match their graduation requirements.” This usually refers to the high school. They will accept courses from another hs IF they match the new high school’s requirements.
You need to understand the GC likely knows what she’s talking about. And find the right colleges that ARE a match to your record. Build ECs in the US, too. Know what the right targets are, for you, with your record.
And if you need financial aid, know that NYU is not known as generous.
Thank you so much! I’m just really scared because the first 3 years of my past app were bad due to some circumstances. Also, if all those 5 years of grades count as credit for me to graduate HS, wouldn’t colleges have to consider ALL the grades from my past school? Or is that just sonething I must do for my current high school?
You need to understand both Ski and I are saying colleges are going to focus on 9-12. That’s the standard.
Your hs may look at 8th, to give you max hs credits. But that’s your hs- and we don’t know their policies.
Be wise. Use your GC for support in picking feasible college targets. If you’ve frazzled her with questions, consider apologizing. Because you need that expertise.
There’s a lot more we could explain. But bottom line is, find colleges that are right for you and the record you DO have. It may mean a public in your state, that you can afford without loans beyond the Fed loans. Be practical.
Alright thank you for your help. It’s just hard looking for colleges because I have to use the gpa from my current school without incorporating my old schools grades (as the school will send those grades as is without calculating a new gpa according to their system which I understand). I also ask alot of questions because I’m a perfectionist and up until a few months ago, i didn’t even know what a gpa was.
Again I really appreciate your help!
It’s also not uncommon for the new HS to just list “credit,” particularly when the grading scales are different. Not listing grades from old school was SOP at my HS.
With the exception of international schools, school profiles are a virtually unknown in international secondary schools.
Much depends upon the college. For top colleges with lots of international applicants, the AO may not understand “perfectly” but s/he will understand directionally, even for a small country like Malta. If I, who does not do this for a living, understands grading in Malta, I’m guessing the international AO does as well. If not, they have resources that they have used in the past to assist.
Agreed on all points here.
Ski, I’m doubting an 80 is an A+. Thats a low bar on a 100 pt scale, rare, even internationally. And now OP seems to hint the Malta grades weren’t so great.
OP has to deal with what he has to deal with. And put his energies where they best serve him.