University of Glasgow Chances?

International Students
1

Currently going into senior year.
Applying for wildlife conservation.
From California.

Sat: 1430/1600. Retaking in 1 month. 740 English 690 Math
ACT: none, still gotta take it but I don’t think Glasgow accepts ACT?

10-12 unweighted GPA: 3.7 or so
Weighted: 4.6

Glasgow asks for SAT score and 2 AP test scores, so that would be my 2 5’s in Environmental Science and Psychology. OR I could do no SAT, 3 APs and submit my 4 in English

CLASS DETAILS:

9th grade: took Advanced Biology, Seminar English, Seminar World History, PE, Algebra 1, and Spanish 7/8
got a B first semester Algebra 1, all else A’s
10th grade: took Honors Pre-calculus, AP Spanish, PE, AP European Hisory, Honors Chemistry, and Seminar English

IMPORTANT NOTE: I will have to explain this on my application - I was hospitalized for an eating disorder in 10th grade for several months. It was full-day and I had 1 hour a day to do schoolwork. I fell behind and got 3 B’s first semester (all else A’s) and by second semester was so behind I dropped Chem, Spanish, and Math.
Made up honors chem second semester the next year, and I am studying precal this summer to take math 150 or AP calc senior year. I did take the AP Spanish test and got a 3.

11th grade: besides making up honors chem, I took 5 AP classes: Psychology, US History, Environmental science, English language and composition, and art studio. Got A’s both semester in every class except history (B all year)

What are my chances of getting in?

Thank you for any help!

2

So, turns out they do take ACT scores. I don’t have one yet but I guess that is an option.

3

When you say Wildlife Conservation: do you mean their Wildlife and Livestcock Management course? That’s a graduate degree.

They have a bachelors in zoology, but I’m pretty sure you’d need APs in bio and/or chem to be considered for direct admission (a foundation course first is a possibility).

Environmental Science isn’t regarded as a strong AP.

4

No need to make excuses for your grades. They’re fine and UK unis mostly care less about them anyway unless they’re awful.

AP scores are mostly what they care about.

5

Agree with @PurpleTitan, no need to tell your story.

There is an Environmental Science program, at the Dumfries campus, for which you would probably qualify.

You have to submit all your standardized testing - SAT/ACT/APs/Subject tests.

6

So this is their zoology program and they have the entry requirements -
http://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/zoology/

It says I would be expected to be at a B-level in biology and chemistry.

I don’t know exactly what this means for me being an American though. I never took AP chem or Bio, although I am taking bio this year. My school doesn’t even have AP chem. They might know that not all US students have all AP’s available. Maybe I should call them?

I took Advanced Bio in 9th grade and Honors Chem between 10th and 11th. Not sure if that would get me in or not but I did get an A both semesters in both subjects.

7

For Glasgow, a B = a 4 on an AP OR a 600+ on a subject test. Class grades are not accepted in lieu of standardized testing.

If they list bio & chem as a pre-req, there is no getting out of it- and honestly, you wouldn’t want to be exempted. That’s b/c the course is built on the expectation that all of the students are at the same level of readiness- there won’t be an option for people who don’t have some part of the required background.

Take a look at these sample tests*:

http://www.cie.org.uk/images/165260-2016-specimen-paper-2.pdf
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/164946-2016-specimen-paper-2.pdf

The required first year bio courses will assume that you will have that level of bio and chem before you start. Think of it as going straight into college as a sophomore, with all the freshman year courses already taken.

*I know that it says Cambridge at the top, but these are for high school, not university. This is what grade 11 and 12 bio & chem students cover in the UK.

8

Maybe look at this course (and 2 related courses) at Edinburgh. You will have bio and env science for required APs. Send an email to international admission counsellor for the US and ask if math SAT portion will satisfy their requirements. You shouldbe able to get a conditional offer with AP bio at 4.

http://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergraduate/degrees/index.php?action=view&code=CF17

9

You don’t need both bio and chem APs for the zoology course, just one of them, so doing bio this year would be fine. A B at A level or in the Scottish Highers equates roughly to a 4 in the AP.

10

Thank you everyone for the responses! I decided to take SAT II tests in Biology and Chemistry to submit to Glasgow and Edinburgh. I’m also applying to Edinburgh. I need a 600+ for Glasgow and 650+ for Edinburgh