importance of 9/10 grades when applying?Answered
hello! (fyi this is my first post, apologies if I miss some conventions of posts here)
For context, I am a student in 11th grade right now attending an international school-- we are following the IB diploma system.
Before highschool (9th grade) I was homeschooled, where my grades were externally checked and all of them were the highest according the grading system of my country.
I think it may be the reason why I struggled quite a bit with some grades when I moved to my current IRL international school, especially in 9th/10th grade in one specific criterion in mathematics, though I took the hardest class there-- (for frame of reference, my grades were "average" but not necessarily stellar either…)
(As a note, my school follows the MYP system until 10th grade, hence why on my transcript there are grades from 5/6-8 in different criteria for each subject)
Currently, I am taking the hardest maths class as well as physics/computer science as my Higher Level subjects and have gotten full marks on the last two (I am working on my mathematics criterion); I also have a some international hackathons, leadership positions in clubs and a lot of tinkering with software/hardware projects to my name (I've also organised hackathons for 50+ in my area). I hope to study computer science/electrical engineering in the future, at MIT if I'm not reaching high, maybe?
My question is as follows: how much do places like MIT value 9th/10th grades? What about improvement during 11th/12th grade?
Thank you so much in advance!! I've been stressed about this for so so long.
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1 answer
In a really simplified explanation (coming from a HS senior): They matter but they aren't independent values. Colleges have an additional information or circumstances section where you can put anything you think they need to know, and that is where you should write about the transition from homeschooling to IB-level work.
If you provide that info, they'll keep it in mind when reviewing your underclassmen grades. It can actually benefit you if written correctly! Explain in detail why/how you struggled and the actions you took to improve.
Schools like MIT love academic awards, grades, and activities, but they also love a student's character and perseverance. A couple values are not enough to make or break an application.
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I see, thank you!