noojoo

Basically I go to a UK school; I got 10 A*s in GCSEs, and 5 As in A-levels (basically the UK equivalent of finals, except that they're standardised tests)

however my transcript is really bad- mostly As & Bs, and Cs, and like 3 Ds... T__T

Assuming, that I get good SATs e.g. 730+s, have several decent activities (economics society + varsity basketball) and write a superb essay (ok its all subjective, but this is an assumption nevertheless)

How will the Pomona adcom judge my application?? Will they realize that UK teachers judge more harshly, and give leniency to my UK in-year transcript, basing my school-academic performance more on the finals (A-levels, GCSEs)?

saasaa

All I can say is, apply. There is not point in not doing it. You never know who will get accepted or not (I didn't think I would but I did )

brassmonkey

They are aware of the heightened standards abroad, and will take that into account for your application. Your success on standardized tests is a strong plus. Keep your classroom grades up and you should stand a good chance.

midatl_dd

You can probably get the best advice from a college counselor in England who has experience with the way U.S. schools read British transcripts. In the U.S. those grades would be a serious problem, especially if they are in core classes like math, English, science, etc. I suspect you're going to end up applying to a long list of schools.