How many AP credits or AP exams do I need to apply to Ivy League and Top 20 universities in the US? How do American universities view AP and what is the difficulty level of AP courses?   To answer these questions, Ms. Samantha Wang, an international education expert (Education Specialist of IECA, M.Ed. of Columbia University, M.A. of Linguistics of Peking University, and a specialist in early childhood and international education for 14 years), will explain in detail in this article.   01 How many APs do I need to apply to Ivy League and Top 20 universities in the U.S.? 1) For the strongest of the strong, a total of 10-14 AP credits are required in high school, i.e., 3-4 AP courses per school year. This is in addition to extracurricular activities and a balanced mind and body.   2) For the average student, it is more important to take 7-8 AP courses, with fewer AP courses, but with a good GPA, than to take many AP courses and get mediocre grades in all of them. This is the underlying logic that the US Ivy League and top 20 universities use when evaluating applications.   02 Does not getting a

In recent years, data science, as a cross-discipline integrating multiple fields such as mathematical methods, statistical techniques, and computer science, has become increasingly popular among universities and enterprises around the world. Its applications in business decision-making, financial markets, social media, healthcare and other fields have led a new round of technological revolution.   In today’s article, we will provide you with a detailed explanation of the majors in the direction of data science and recommend the corresponding AP courses and credit courses for the reference of students and parents in need!   Data Science Data Science is an interdisciplinary field that combines mathematics, statistics and computer science to find useful information from large, diverse and rapidly changing data. Simply put, data scientists are the modern-day version of miners who pan for data and then refine it into useful information and insights. These insights can be used to solve business problems, improve policy decisions, enhance healthcare efficiency, and more.   Meanwhile, students studying data science need to develop proficient programming skills and master how to process and store large amounts of data in computer systems. They also need to learn statistics in order to find patterns and trends in data. And, because data science

High school GPA is like a key to unlock the door of university application, its weight and value directly determines whether we can successfully step into the ideal university.   Canadian Students Raise GPA to 4.95 Dream of Top Universities in Canada and the U.S is realized Student H originally studied in a Canadian high school that did not offer AP credit courses, but St. Mary’s Online offers a wide range of AP credit courses, which fully meets student H’s needs to take additional AP credits and improve the GPA.   Through St. Mary’s Online, student H took 5 AP courses (AP Calculus AB, AP Macroeconomics, AP Language and Composition, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science) and 2 U.S. high school courses (Financial Math, TOEFL) in Grade 12, and earned the corresponding credits, and raised the GPA from 3.8 to 4.95!   With US high school AP credits and Grade 12 US high school transcripts, student H successfully applied to the dream schools, a top 5 university in Canada, as well as New York University, a top 30 school in the US.   01 What is GPA? GPA stands for Grade Point Average, which is what we know as the usual

As the Spring Festival approaches, students who have just finished submitting their regular applications are ready to take a breather and wait for their acceptance, while students in the new application season are starting to choose their schools~ There are a large number of universities in the United States, and the nine schools in the University of California system are always hot and even climbing every year. Many parents and students are considering, in the end, how is the acceptance rate of schools under the California system, how many GPA points can I get an offer, and how is the employment rate after graduation? Today, I will take you to understand the application requirements of the U.S. undergraduate – nine schools under the California system. 01 University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley 2022-2023 Admissions Data Number of applicants this season: 128,225 Number of admissions for the current season: 14,603 Acceptance rate is 11.4%. Acceptance average GPA of 4.15-4.29 The number of Chinese students was 2,739, accounting for 35% of admissions. School Introduction Founded in 1868, the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), or UCB for short, is one of the top public research universities in the United States and is

As a high school student considering AP or IB courses, you may be wondering which course you can choose to better help your college application. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of AP and IB courses, as well as advice on how to choose the right course to maximize your chances of college acceptance. 01 History of AP and IB According to Collgeboard, in 2021, more than 22,800 high schools in the U.S. offered AP courses, and about 35 percent of high school graduates had taken at least one AP course. On the other hand, according to the IB, more than 900 high schools offer the IB Diploma Program in the U.S. The first IB program was offered in U.S. schools in 1971, and AP courses began in 1955. 02 Overview of AP and IB Before we discuss their role in college admissions, let’s give a quick overview of what AP and IB programs are. AP stands for Advanced Placement, for American Pre-College, American College Preparatory, and refers to college courses offered by The College Board that are taught in high schools. U.S. high school students can take these courses and earn AP credits after completing their coursework. College credit can be earned

In the process of preparing to apply to the U.S. undergraduate program, a lot of doubts will arise, among which this question is repeatedly mentioned: “As an ordinary high school student in China, will you be at a disadvantage in the process of applying to the U.S. undergraduate program compared to those who attend high school in the U.S. or those who go to U.S. high school in China?” Next, we will take you to understand the difference between them from the perspectives of GPA (grade point average) and improving competitiveness. 01 The curriculum is the same as that of American undergraduates. The U.S. high school curriculum is the same as the U.S. undergraduate curriculum. Unlike domestic high schools, students enrolled in U.S. high schools are offered required and elective courses, as well as honors courses and AP courses. As students transition from the general courses to honors courses, and even AP courses, the difficulty of the courses increases, which in itself is a reflection of the student’s ability to learn. Therefore, colleges can judge a student’s academic ability by whether or not he or she takes AP, how many courses he or she takes, and how difficult it is

U.S. High School Grading System When you think of school, you probably think of grades. Grades are an important aspect of the education system. They are used by college admissions committees to determine acceptance or non-acceptance, by parents to see how their children are doing, and as markers by which students judge their success or failure. In the diversity of education systems, the U.S. high school grading system has always been a pioneer, broadening the horizons and enriching the content of education with its unique concepts and practices. Although it is also presented in the form of “scores”, the standard of judgment is very different from that in China. So, let me take this opportunity to share with you the grading system of U.S. schools. Highlights of the article: S. Grading Criteria Advantages of the U.S. high school grading system? The impact of US high school GPA and grading system on college applications Advantages of grading at the SMOA online US high schools? 01 Grading Criteria in U.S. Schools When teachers in the United States decide your grade, it is not determined by a single test like in China. Usually, it will be divided into a number of different “types

L, who attended an in-system junior and senior high school, had an estimated unweighted GPA of 3.5 in 10th grade, and his college application goal was to apply for a STEM major in a TOP 30 university in the U.S. SMOA’s teachers provided L with a detailed academic diagnosis and a plan to improve his academic performance: An overall GPA of at least 3.8-4.0 or above is required. According to the latest admissions data from university officials last year, a GPA of at least 3.8-4.1 is required for grades 9-12 in order to apply to a TOP 30 U.S. universities, and since L’s GPAs in junior and senior high school are unweighted and based on an average of 85, the GPA is expected to be only about 3.5. Before applying, L needs to take time to improve the GPA by taking AP courses, which can be weighted to improve the GPA, and it is recommended that L takes four AP courses, and if L maintains A- grades in all subjects, the minimum requirements for applying to a TOP 30 university can be met. SMOA’s GPA of 5.0 for the AP U.S. high school credit courses and 4.33 for the regular U.S.