Hello! I’m a high school student from Poland and to set the background for you: in Poland high school is years 10-12, high schools don’t rank their students and we don’t have weighted GPA. The grades here are on the scale from 1 to 6, where 5 is equivalent to A and a 6 requires covering knowledge that transcends the subject’s curriculum (some teachers don’t ever give students 6’s). 4 is equivalent to B.
I’m now in grade 10 so I just entered high school and my grade average will most likely be around 4.75 this year. Most importantly I will have 5’s in English, Physics, Chemistry and Chemistry labs, and 4’s in Polish and unfortunately Math.
What bothers me is the 4 (which is B) in Math and Polish, but what we’re doing in Math class is already much harder than what is on the SAT Math II subject test and our national curriculum is considered to be harder than what Americans usually take.
Will American colleges consider the fact that I attend the 2nd best public school in the country and that my B’s in Math and Polish are not worth that little? Can a B in math in Grade 10 be compensated with a perfect or near-perfect SAT II Math 2 score and SAT I Math subscore?
Colleges will review your grades in the context of your school and the polish system. The won’t compensate grades based off of other scores but they will review everything.
Yes, most large American colleges are quite knowledgeable about the Polish high school system. One B will not determine whether or not you are accepted. If your other grades and your SATs are high, no one will pay attention to that B.
Keep in mind, your competition isn’t American students, it’s other Polish/Central European applicants.
Your biggest problem will be financial. Can your family afford $50,000 (or more) per year? If not, you will require financial aid, which is very hard to get, and which will require a specialized application strategy. If you need financial aid, read the International Students threads carefully to find out how and where to apply to increase your chances.
Well I’m not worried about my SAT’s as I practice every week and I see progress so I’m pretty sure I will be able to achieve 1570+ and good SAT II scores. What I’m really worried about is my grades. They’re not low but it’ll probably be slightly more than 1 or 2 B’s on the span of 3 years. I know that other things matter but I’m worried that they will reject me in spite of high SAT scores, science olympiads and doing research and science internships just because my grades could be higher. Also I don’t know if they will consider the fact that my school is just more competetive than other school in the country and it’s just harder to get good grades here.
Also I know that I will need much financial aid and that is why I’m trying to get into a good school that is generous in that matter.
Yes they will consider it.
But admissions to an American university is different than in Europe. You can have perfect grades, perfect scores, wonderful extra curricular activities – and still NOT GET IN.
You can also have lower grades, and weaker SATs but get in because you come from an under-represented part of the world (sub-Saharan Africa, for example) or because you show unusual leadership potential.
Keep in mind, that the elite schools limit the number of international students they accept. The Ivy League, which offers the best financial aid, has only 10%-15% international students.