Hey, guys. I’ll be applying as an International student this year to some selective schools. Some of those schools are very very selective. I probably won’t get in lol, but I’m trying since it’s my dream. We have a British patterned education here. My O/A Levels grades were fantastic (9A*/A O levels and 5As in AS level) but my transcript marks have been pretty bad in the 11th grade. 80% overall yearly average. It’s not bad but it’s not ivy-great or anything. So my question is will my board exam grades matter more? A girl who got into Brown from here told me the transcript matters more. I’m really scared. My 12th grade grades are falling too because I live far away from school and because I have other commitments. I may have to revise my college list thoroughly. I know grades arent everything but I’m an International student which means colleges are much more selective with us. Although I won’t ask for as much aid as people from my region normally do, although I have some good ECAs, I’m just scared… Please help me out.
Both. For Ivy League schools, strength in one will not compensate for a deficiency in another. The colleges reject 90%+ of its applicants, most of whom have both high grades and high standardized test scores.
I would put little weight into what an applicant told you. The plural of anecdote is not data.
If you are intent on an American uni, you would be well served to research less selective ones.
skieurope it’s not that my transcript is deficient. I’m still at the top 3-5% of my class. The problem is the grading is harsh here since they don’t want students to be overconfident before A levels. For example I got a 55% in chem one time but only 3-4 people even passed the exam that year. 10-15 people failed straight up. what can I do about these issues? And thanks for responding!
Nothing.
You should not have buried the lede. 
Colleges will look at your performance based upon the context of your school. International AO’s are familiar with the grading in various countries, and if you’re in the top 3-5%, I would not worry about it. That said, based upon acceptance rates, there is still no guarantee that you will get in. Spend time fine-tuning your essays. Good luck
skieurope thanks!