all marks good except one really bad: what to do?

violindad
Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:25:30 +0000

TheOpusOne: I don’t believe that there is a definitive conversion chart (something that I find bothersome, because in most places in Canada an A is 80%+ whereas in the US, an A is usually 90%+, so US schools possibly interpret marks in the 80’s as B’s; at most Canadian high schools, anything in the 90’s is an A+ and is quite difficult to earn). The NCAA has a conversion book online that I looked at a few months ago and it confirms that Canadian marks in the 80’s should be considered A’s by American colleges, but of course the NCAA book is used for athletes.

In any case, Bassplayer08 is correct that your marks look fine and one 80% is not going to kill your chances at the better conservatories.

You probably realize that US admissions are vastly different from Canadian. In Canada the marks on the high school transcript are 100% of the determinant for most universities. In the US at non-music schools, the high school marks are just one factor, and at conservatories they are a relatively small factor. While conservatories do not want stupid students that are incapable of handling the theory courses (and some will at times exclude outstanding musicians that fall beneath their academic threshold), you are well, well above that threshold.

Some of the conservatories require SAT’s or ACT’s. If your high school is any good, then your 97.5% average should mean that you are truly an exceptional student that should get an SAT of 800 or very close and an ACT of between 34 and 36.

Even if a conservatory does not require your SAT score, you should include it somewhere (perhaps near the top of a resume or other list of accomplishments), assuming that you are at 800 or close. Many US high schools routinely put SAT scores on their transcripts; perhaps you could persuade your guidance counsellor to include yours in a prominent place on your transcript–your school is issued a sticker by SAT for this very purpose.

Two other pieces of data which help American colleges determine academic potential are class rank and academic reference letters which sometimes request a type of ranking. Some Canadian high schools do not do class rankings. Assuming that your rank is very good (at the high schools I have taught at, a 97.5% average would normally put you at a rank of 1st or 2nd out of 300 or 400 students), it would be to your advantage to have your school provide a ranking. Start plying your student services office with chocolates and flowers!