Should I send my [IB] transcripts for reevaluation? [barely missed IB score admission condition]

Applying to College
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Hello,

I got accepted into UCL earlier this year, with my condition being 38/45 and an aggregate score of 18 in my HL subjects (I take IB).

Today, my results came out, and I got 36/45 and an aggregate score of 17 in my HLs, which means I did not satisfy the conditions.

However, I am on the threshold of a higher grade boundary in two SL subjects - I am 2 marks away from a 6 in ESS and 1 mark away from a 7 in Maths.

If I submit these two for reevaluation and they work out, I will increase my score to 38/45 (satisfying the first condition), but I will still miss the condition that requires me to get 18 in my HL subjects. However, would they accept me regardless, given how I only missed the condition by 1 point, and still got 38/45?

Is it worth sending these two subjects for reevaluation? The IB refunds you your money if there is a change in grade, but the price is steep regardless. Ultimately, is it worth sending the transcripts for a long shot chance of UCL accepting me regardless?

(I must add here that I will be majoring in History, and as things stand, I will be attending King’s College London, which adds to my dilemma - is the drop-off between KCL History and UCL History so much that I should put myself through this process, which will be mentally straining, and may cost my family ~$200 if the reevaluations don’t work out?)

TL;DR: Missed my UCL offer (38/45 & 18 HL) by 2 points overall and 1 HL point; I’m 1–2 marks away from grade bumps that could push me to 38/45. Is it worth the cost and stress of reevaluation, especially since I have King’s for History as a backup?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a good day!

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At our school, the IB coordinator was the person who could advise of the likely impact of a rescore (often in conjunction with the subject teachers.) In the very few cases I was familiar with – all ones like yours – they went for it. Your situation is complicated by the fact that a positive rescore will only satisfy one condition. It’s hard to say whether there would be leniency on that as well as if the time to ask the school is pre- or post- rescore. My gut says the latter, but it also means you could go to the trouble only to still fall short.

As for the difference between the programs you’re considering, I don’t know enough to opine.

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Will consider this, thanks!

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I don’t know about the acceptance, but I’ll just say my daughter was 1 point shy of a higher score in an SL last year and we submitted it and it went up by 2 points, giving her the higher score. Changes definitely happen. Odds of it dropping to a lower score when you’re that close are awfully small.