Hi everyone,
I’m an international student from Nigeria, and I’m a bit concerned about how colleges will view my WAEC results. I had extenuating circumstances that significantly impacted my scores, and I’m wondering if colleges will take that into account.
My Academic Profile:
- SAT: 1560
- GPA: 94.1/100
- Course Rigor: Strong in math and sciences
- Extracurriculars: AI + Chess (built AI chess-related projects and competed at a high level)
My WAEC Results:
First WAEC Attempt (May/June 2024)
- Mathematics: A1
- Civic Education: A1
- Marketing: A1
- Further Mathematics: B2
- Biology: B3
- Chemistry: C4
- English: C4
- Economics: C4
- Physics: C5
Retake – WAEC (Private Candidates) (November 2024)
(Didn’t prepare much but still retook it to improve my profile)
- Civic Education: A1
- Mathematics: B3
- Further Mathematics: B3
- Physics: B3
- Economics: B3
- English: B3
- Chemistry: C6
- Geography: C6 (Never studied it before but had to take it due to subject limitations)
Why My WAEC Grades Suffered:
- Worked Full-Time at Family Business – I had to balance school with work, which took a toll on my academics.
- No Proper Science Practicals – My school didn’t conduct Chemistry and Physics practicals, which directly hurt my grades in those subjects.
- School’s Reputation Might Affect My Transcript – My transcript (94.1/100 GPA) reflects my actual ability, but I worry that admissions officers will think it’s inflated because my WAEC grades don’t match.
My Questions:
- Will top U.S. colleges (MIT, Harvard, Caltech, etc.) consider my circumstances and weigh my transcript + SAT more heavily?
- Will they trust my transcript despite the WAEC disparity?
- Should I submit my second WAEC scores (Private Candidates) to show improvement?
Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!