<p>I have been hearing about how universities in England care less about class grades and more about standardized exams. Is this true? I am a sophomore, and my dream is to study Physics at Oxford University, but my grades aren't really as high as they think they should be. I will probably be in the top 10% of my class (The top decile usually starts around a 91.5, or a 3.65, I think) by the end of my junior year, and I am hoping to get around a 3.7-3.8 (Around a 93, on the unweighted scale) by the end of that as well, but that will entail very hard to work in order to get it done. I am not saying I won't work hard to get those grades, but I just think that my class grades won't be as good as most accepted applicants. It also worries me that I am an international student for Oxford, and I am uncertain about how much they care about grades for internationals.
I know that I will practice huge amounts for the SAT, the SAT Subject tests, and I will probably also take the ACT, hoping to score very high on all.</p>
<p>Would you say I have a good chance to study Physics if I am extremely passionate about the subject, get very high test scores, but don't have a stellar GPA for top universities? I am also planning to teach Astronomy and Physics to Boy Scouts over the Summer.</p>
<p>Can anyone tell me what to do to ensure I have a good chance at top universities, especially Oxford? I am also thinking highly of MIT, but I will still have some safety schools when I apply, as everybody does.</p>
<p>I know Oxford is a school where GPA and SAT/ACT is given more weight than ECs, but you need to have physics-related ECs to strengthen your Oxford app.</p>
<p>Yes, along with teaching astronomy, I am also in the New York State Science Honors Society, I am currently in the process of getting my Physics Society approved to be an official club in my school, I sit in on advanced senior Physics classes, and I am taking coursera courses in advanced math and science. I hope that those will help, but I know I can do more with my remaining year and a half before I apply to colleges and universities. I’m not exactly sure if those Physics EC’s seem weak, but I am sure to do more than just that.</p>
<p>I have been hearing about how universities in England care less about class grades and more about standardized exams. Is this true? I am a sophomore, and my dream is to study Physics at Oxford University.</p>
<p>Oxford won’t even ask about your GPA. They will want your SAT (or ACT), SATIIs, APs and the PAT. You will need a bare minimum of 5’s on 3 <em>relevant</em> APs- and in real life more (or at least more SATIIs). The Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) is absolutely key- you can look for old papers on line, but you won’t take it until autumn of your Senior year so don’t panic if it looks scary now. </p>
<p>The other variables are your Personal Statement (why you are a great candidate to be a physics student), your recommendations, and -crucially- the interview. The interview is a cross between a practical exam and a mock-tutorial. You will be given problems to solve that are deliberately a bit more advanced than what you have been taught- the objective is to see your thought process, more than to see if you can get the right answer, and how you respond to the tutorial format. </p>