The Indian Thread #19

<p>Noo I didn’t even send my application yet! This was regarding some questions I had about Yale and things. I was just trying to prove your point about them being really quick to reply haha.
You should get an interview! I think you will at some point. If not, don’t worry it’s not an important part of your application anyway.
Anyone here applying to the UK?</p>

<p>Ooops mistake. I self-studied for the A-Levels and attended school for CBSE.</p>

<p>I am from financially backward backgrounds and my parents could not send me to an international school. I planned to take-up A-Levels so as to escape the ‘Parrots and Calculators’ system - that’s just my way of calling it (it could have been IB instead of A-Levels, but IB cannot be done privately). Since, I was forced into a CBSE school, I took-up A-Levels privately - done in a rebellious attitude, frankly. But the final exams of the two syllabuses came too close to prepare well for both exams. Then, I requested to drop-off, because the A-Levels were more important to me. The school authorities (with traditional mindsets) thwarted my request and my plans through brutal and unfair means. Then I let my CBSE grades fall (with the consent of the school, that one) but attained good scores in the A-Levels.</p>

<p>That’s my academic story in a tiny nutshell.</p>

<p>I see. So how do you expect your A levels to help you? Since they are only required by Oxford/Cambridge/LSE in the UK and the UK schools don’t offer much aid at all; rather they charge triple fees from International students-it’s a way of earning income for them, I don’t see how doing A-levels over CBSE helps you in any way.</p>

<p>Arunemo- I’m not applying for Undergrad. But my dream school is Oxford! Some day…:)</p>

<p>Affects me??? I cannot grasp your question completely. But, yeah double schooling almost killed me.</p>

<p>Besides, by-hearting is my Achilles’ heel; hence the hatred towards the ‘Parrots and Calculators’ system.</p>

<p>Read my question carefully. I do not see any advantage of your taking the A levels which is meant for colleges you cannot afford.</p>

<p>Since you edited…</p>

<p>It does not give me an advantage over someone holding the CBSE certificate - I never said it did. But, how much more rigorous has my curriculum been?</p>

<p>Yea it is quite ridiculous that fees in UK are 3x the normal price for International students. There was a case from our school too-2 guys were short listed for an interview at Oxford from our school. One was British, the other Korean. Apparently the British guy’s interview went really well and the Korean dude’s not so well. Guess who got in?
Conspiracy theorists in our school said the Korean guy was accepted over the other because he was an international and hence the Uni would get more money from him (With all due respect to him though, they were both absolutely brilliant candidates and totally deserved to go).
Pixie-US Unis accept A-Levels too, just like the IB. They offer credit for A-level results, depending upon your subject and score.</p>

<p>Yeah, I edited it the minute I saw my mistake.</p>

<p>So, what’s the point of taking it? And isn’t the only center for the A levels in Kolkata?</p>

<p>Also, through what situations were my A-Level grades gained? </p>

<p>And I did not take it to get into colleges I cannot afford: I did it to try and escape the system.</p>

<p>

I’m sorry, I did not understand what you meant by that. Would you mind elaborating?</p>

<p>I guess you could argue your course load was much more rigorous. That, and your scores. Since you took a gap year you have your scores available so assuming you did well, that can show academic rigor and so forth.
Technically, for people like me who’re doing the full IB–the only advantage is that we’re doing a very rigorous program so they don’t expect all of us to come out with 5.0 GPAs. They don’t care about out final IB exam, since it happens after we’ve been offered admission and can only be used for credit. They don’t have conditional offers like the UK. So some people think doing the full IB is a waste when you’re going to the States.</p>

<p>See CBSE+A-Levels makes one of the most rigorous curriculum.</p>

<p>And also, I found a fault in my system and, instead of complaining (I know this sounds like a reference to the previous discussion, but guys it really is not. I understand that all you guys are only trying to convey your backgrounds through your apps and hence the discussion) I found a way to get it out of my way. </p>

<p>Then there is the matter of overcoming financial odds.</p>

<p>There are many other ways in which the A-Levels are significant to my story, but I would not like to go into my personal life.</p>

<p>^The combination sounds good!</p>

<p>Oh…
and there are many centers in India. See, it is administered by both the British Council and Edexcel - equivalent, though, both are.</p>

<p>Writing reccos urself?</p>

<p>^Is that for me?</p>

<p>If you are talking about the Teacher Recs, then no I had teachers from my (CBSE) school do it. They have never done this before, so the recs are a bit sub-standard, sadly.</p>

<p>Otherwise, I’ve always had excellent relationships with my Teachers and Principal, in spite of all the problems and all. Besides, I was the ‘School Leader/Captain’ in my final year.</p>

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<p>I’m not sure I understood what you said here. By taking A Levels, you escaped the system??</p>

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<p>Ditto pixie!! Oxford is the best. I’ve already decided I’m going there after my undergrad, no matter whether I study in the US or India.</p>

<p>^^^Yes, I grew into something more than a parrot or a calculator. But again, each of us has his own way of doing this, is it not? Also, is this not the reason that all of us here are applying to these elite universities abroad?</p>

<p>I suppose you’re right fabregas04…still, that means the rest of us parrots and calculators. </p>

<p>P.S. - Ok I know you din’t mean it that way…</p>