I am a high school junior in India looking to apply to top colleges in the US (including ivy leagues). I am interested to major in physics or CS or do a dual degree. My high school grades have been average. However, I’m confident of doing really well in SAT I, SAT II and AP. Will these cover up for my grades?
My grades:
Class 9: 9.6 CGPA (91.2%)
Class 10: 9.7 CGPA (92.4%)
Class 11: 9.3 CGPA (89%)
Expectations for SAT and AP:
SAT I Math- 790-800
SAT I R&W- 720-780
SAT II Physics- 790-800
SAT II Maths 2- 790-800
4-5 in 5 APs
My expectation is that I will hit Powerball this week. That may or may not happen. Your question would make more sense if you had actual SAT scores.
But to answer your question, no, it will not “cover up” But you also need to understand (as every AO already knows) that your grades are excellent by Indian standards. Don’t compare yourself to students attending HS with rampant grade inflation.
That said, your application to any top college is severely hampered by being an applicant from India.
@skieurope I am expecting those scores based on mock tests.
Many students in my school have scores far better than mine.
However, I’ve been doing really well in competitive exams in India for the past two years, having cleared two prestigious national exams (NTSE, KVPY).
When you are talking about Ivy level schools, and even schools a notch or two below the Ivy level, an outstanding SAT/ACT score will not make up for a sub par GPA. They are looking for the full package. As the old saying goes, a great SAT/ACT score won’t get you in, but a poor SAT/ACT score will keep you out. Also, schools don’t really care about AP scores, although it might raise some red flags if you have a high GPA in an AP class and report a low AP exam result (or don’t report a result at all).