Hi guys, Im currently 18, Singaporean, and I am thinking of aapplying to a US University. These are my credentials
GCE O’Levels (equates to US high school diploma)
English A2
Chinese A1
Social Sciences A2
Math A1
History A1
Physics B3
Which translate to a GPA of ~3.88/4 using an online converter.
SAT 2250.
Taking AP Psychology, Physics and World History.
But here’s the catch, my Alevels (AP equavilant) results were disasterous.
So what tier schools should I aim for? I have a decent GPA and SAT score but my A’Levels score is terrible. Would I be able to enter a better college if I did really well for my APs?
How much money can you pay per year?
I’m confused. You have already graduated from high school…yes? So you are doing APs post high school? You typically do your A’ Levels in May/June time frame of your 2-year A’ Level program (end of the program). Why is your GPA only based on your 6 GCE O’ Level subjects, instead of all your grades throughout high school?
@Dunboyne im fortunate enough to have no budget. So what would you recommend based on that?
@Jamrock411 For my education system, we have a one-exam-to-rule-them-all kind of system. It matters not how well or badly you have done in your school, it only matters in that one exam. So from what I have extensively researched, the O’Level cert is equivalent to a US high school diploma. So my O’Level grade would be your GPA in high school. The A’Levels is like the APs in the sense that they give you extra credits in Uni. And yes, I am seeking to take extra AP courses after high school and I have already graduated from high school. I am planning to do this throughout my compulsory military service which lasts for two years. Hope these info helps 
Being full pay definitely helps, especially at cash-strapped public universities.
–What were your A-Level scores (how terrible)?
–Have you written any SAT Subject tests?
–Can you list your extracurricular activities, if you have any? Is your military service full-time?
–What majors are you considering?
–Which term/year do you plan to start?
Quite to the contrary, internal exams do matter. I’ve spoken to admission counsellor and mainly they want to see an upward trend from your sec3-4 to Olevels. Only JC grades don’t matter much since you’ve already got Alevel results. Also it’s hard to judge how you will fare. Your Olevels are good, and SAT is even better. Maybe you could look at schools which mainly look at Olevels rather than Alevels, just to mention a few, Purdue, CU Boulder, Uminnesota, Arizona state
Alevels are a must for Ivies and other highly ranked colleges however.
I’ve got friends in UMICH (Engineering!!!) with a BBCAD, the C being in physics!!! And Umich is a top college for engineering, lol. If you’re As are above C, you would have a
Shot at many colleges, (C in sg= A-B in US)
You have two choices:
1° apply to US colleges that admit students with Singapore’s O’Levels.
(you don’t need to submit your A’Levels, although typically at these universities if you got a C it’ll be granted as credit and/or placement, which is good for you.) Examples: University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Penn State, Arizona State, CSU’s, Marquette, NCSU, Purdue, St Mary’s of California, Temple, UAlabama, UC Riverside, Colorado-Boulder,
Agnes Scott (pretty good college if you’re a girl, and partnership with Georgia Tech), Hiram, St Catherine’s (Minneapolis), UMass Amherst, U Wisconsin-Eau Claire, U Winsconsin Milwaukee, Western Washington, Washington State, Whitman (super college in the Pacific Northwest, one of the best on this list), WPI (tech school near Boston.)
2° retake your Alevels and bring those results alongside taking AP’s.
Wow , Penn State too? I didn’t know that
With your Olevels, I’ll probably say CU
Boulder and ASU are safeties (low match), based in their acceptance rate, they’re pretty easy to
Get into, and with that SAT score, your more or less in other colleges as well.