<p>hi everyone, this is my first time posting here ( I don't know why i said that). Anyway, I'm a junior in Iran right now, the best school in the state and the #4 school in the country ( we have the highest college acceptance rate), and our school keeps it's reputation by putting the students to EXTREMELY HARD coursework and exams. We learn at least 3 times as much as the average school. Enough with the complaining, because of the school's system I don't have stellar grades and all. there are Bs, and even a stupid little D on my report card (I am only imagining how my grades will convert into the American system). How negatively do you think this will all effect my chances of getting into the top colleges? My GPA should be somewhere around 3.8 right now. do you think schools will be sensitive to the pressures of my current high school? also, if i were to attend a high school in America next year and take about 6 AP courses, gain As in all of them, and take some SAT subject tests as well, do you think it will open the admission committee's eyes to the immense workload i had in Iran?</p>
<p>You must have all A’s in addition to te 3 B’s and 1 D to come up with a 3.8 GPA, so it can’t be that bad. This is still an excellent GPA. If you came to the United States to go to high school, are you planning on attending a private school and repeating your junior year or going in as a senior. Remember, school you apply to will just see your mid-year report. If your school is indeed a stellar one, top colleges and universities are probably aware of that and will view at your grades in that context.</p>
<p>When you apply for admission in the US, you will probably be asked to send your high school record for formal evaluation. One organization that does this is [World</a> Education Services - International Education Intelligence](<a href=“http://www.wes.org/]World”>http://www.wes.org/) Even if the colleges and universities that you apply to are not familiar with your particular school, or with the national system where you live, the professional evaluators are. They will be able to interpret your record for the colleges and universities.</p>
<p>If your goal is to increase your chances of admission at a “top college”, there is not much point in coming to the US for your last year of high school. Your grades from Iran will be what is taken into consideration when you apply to college because you won’t have been here long enough to have grades in your classes here. It also will be hard for you to get a teacher to write a letter of recommendation because they won’t know you very well yet. If your family is coming to the US anyway, or if you know you could be happy attending a college or university that isn’t “top”, then it is a different story. </p>
<p>The biggest issue for international students is arranging payment for their studies. Can your family afford a college education for you in the US? If not, where would the money come from? Do you have good options in Iran or in other countries?</p>
<p>One good source of information for you is the website [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) After you read through that, you should contact the counselors at the advising center in Iran [EducationUSA</a> - Center Profile - EducationUSA Iran](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php?id=1294]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php?id=1294) They can give you advice about the whole process.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>World Education Services - International Education Intelligence for the win.
However, Iranian grading is not particularly difficult.</p>
<p>The way my (American) school puts GPA into context is through the school profile, which details the percentage of A, B, and C averages (overall and by department) in the previous year’s senior class. The quintile SAT stats, all the college acceptances, and mean TOEFL scores are also included. This sucks because last year’s seniors were arguably the dumbest in the school history.</p>