Should I apply with bad grades?
Hi everyone!
I know you must have rolled your eyes at the title, but please read this through cuz I really REALLY need help/advice.
So, I'm an international low income student, who has studies the Cambridge education system throughout his 5 year highschool program: IGCSE (3 years) + A-Level (2 years)
I'll provide grade conversions so you can get a bit of an American perspective (these conversions can be seen as accurate as I found them on Cambridge's official website)
A = 4.0
A = 4.0
B = 3.3
C = 3.0
D = 2.3
E = 2.0
U = 0.0
And here are my grades:
IGCSE: 6A, 4A [10 subjects] these are the external results not the internal transcript
This translates to a 4.0 GPA
A-Levels: (will be giving my external in 2024 so we will be submitting internals + predicted)
Internal:
- Mid Terms A1: 1A, 1A, 1C, 1U
- Final Terms A1: 1A, 1A, 1B, 1C
This translates to a 3.2 GPA. So, overall my GPA stands at 3.6. Now again this isn't entirely accurate but should give you a rough idea of where I stand.
P.s i'm talking to the school to re-sit the exams where I have Cs and a U. I want the transcript to show Bs at the worst. That should take my GPA to a 3.8.
But in the worst case scenario - that is that I can't give re-rists - is it even worth it applying to US colleges? Obv I'm not gonna be able to apply to top Unis, but are there any top 80 unis that will be willing to accept such a student? And that even on financial aid?
Sorry for the long post, but I really needed help. I hope you guys can assist me :')
hey these grades are not bad at all IMO. u should deff still apply!
thanks! ill try and get the Cs and U changes to Bs through re-sits. Then with a high SAT score I can hopefully make up for those B grades (since they are only in Physics and Math).
I mean honestly these are decent grades, it won't hurt you to apply!
My biggest worry is that U grade (0.0). Will it raise major concerns? I mean it was in Math after-all and thats a very imp subject
Well of course universities may not overlook it, but just focus on making yourself known!
In a university's eyes, those are good grades. It depends on the college, but each one has a different acceptance rate, the average being 66%. It never hurts to apply!
So, I should target lower tier unis right? I was thinking if I amend most of my grades and get them down to straight Bs at worst, my GPA would roughly be a 3.8ish. Then with a high SAT score, extra-curriculars and essays I can try and make up for the slightly lower GPA. Should that warrant applications to IVY League unis?
It is hard to say, but there is a website called Parchment where you can add colleges that you want to apply to. Once the college is added, press the arrow next to more info, and then press compare. This will show you how you compare to other students who were admitted into the school, which can give you a good idea of where you stand: parchment.com/. I hope this helps!
ok. Thankyouu!!
i just realised I can't write "A-star" with an asterisk sign cuz they just bold the text. So an "A-star" also converts to a 4.0 GPA, for my IGCSE result I had 6 "A-stars", and for both my A-level exam sessions I had one "A-star" each.
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