L is currently enrolled in an IB system school and has an estimated weighted GPA of 3.59 in 10th grade. Her goals for further education are to major in Biology or Business Management at UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, and other TOP 50 U.S. colleges and universities.
According to the current situation, it is actually very difficult for L to fulfill her goal, and why? Let’s take a look at SMOA teacher’s professional analysis:
Academic Diagnosis
01 IB application for U.S. universities is not advantageous
IB students also need SAT/ACT standardized test scores to apply to top schools, causing IB students to be very busy in the 11th grade, but often not as busy as they should be with the key points of the top schools in the US.
The 11th grade is the most critical time for applying to U.S. universities, and most U.S. universities are designed to follow the AP pace. The IB application for U.S. universities cannot stay unaffected, but also coerce by AP, and IB students will have a lot of difficulties in the system of articulation and time conflicts.
02 The overall GPA is low
For future applications to UCB, UCLA, and other TOP 50 universities in the U.S., an 11th grade GPA of at least 4.0 or above is required for college application. According to the data published by UCLA, UC Berkeley and other universities, students admitted to TOP 30-50 universities need to have a GPA of 4.1-4.3 in grades 9-12 to be higher than 4.0. L’s current weighted GPA is 3.59, which is not yet enough to meet the target.
For EA/ED admissions to top US universities, many schools are required to submit all GPAs by 1 November, so L will need to take additional APs in the summer vacation of grade 10 to improve her GPA.
03 Retaking, overriding grades of C and below on transcripts
Most U.S. high schools have mandatory core subjects, i.e. UC A-G courses required by prestigious schools such as UCLA in the California University System, and mandatory subjects required by U.S. universities, and at least a C or higher in each of the core subjects is required in order to meet the minimum thresholds for admission to prestigious schools.
L had to cover the key subjects on her transcript with a C+, and she was also required to take advanced AP courses in 10th grade to cover the low-level courses.
Planning and Improving Scheme
With time constraints and a heavy workload, in order to make up for the academic shortfalls as soon as possible, L made effective use of this summer vacation by taking four of SMOA’s AP courses at the suggestion of SMOA’s teachers, which are:
AP English Language and Composition: To help students develop their reading comprehension, analytical and writing skills so that they can handle the reading and writing tasks of their university courses proficiently;
AP Calculus BC: This course is required for Biology and Business Management majors, and provides a foundation in Calculus for the future study of AP Statistics;
AP Physics 1: To build a foundation for future courses in AP Physics C;
AP Macroeconomics: It is relatively easy and get an A+ to improve the GPA.
Study Process and Achievements
After SMOA’s elite foreign teachers’ serious and high-level teaching, and L’s persistent efforts, she got a very shining report card: she got A or A+ grades in all 4 courses, and her final GPA reached 4.8, congratulations to her!
SMOA has set up a dedicated one-to-one learning communication group for L. The bilingual head teacher supervises the whole learning process 24/7 with heartfelt service; reminds students to attend classes and complete assignments on time; and shares weekly stage-by-stage learning reports, so that parents are assured and satisfied, and praise our service!
SMOA 30+ AP Courses Enrollment in Progress
SMOA’s 30+ AP credit courses covering 7 major subject areas are now enrolling, not only the popular AP Calculus BC, AP Physics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Pre-Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Macro/Microeconomics, and other common subjects, but also a lot of unpopular subjects, such as AP Music Theory, AP 2D Art & Design, and AP Drawing, are also available.
Small size class of 3-6 students can be started by 3 students, and 1 v 1 VIP customized courses are flexible in time and can start at any time, welcome to contact us for more information!