I go to a selective entry high school in Melbourne and my cohort are all very competitive, therefore our school also design our tests harder than usual which means that we usually get B’s or similar marks while other high performing students in less competitive schools may get higher marks. Does this affect your entry process into an Ivy League or Oxbridge University? If so, is your high school’s cohort take into account in the process?
3 Replies
It shouldn’t affect your candidacy. The admissions officer responsible for your area should understand that your school is very competitive and gives low grades. They’ll take that into account when they look at your overall candidacy.
Whats more, your standardized tests, national examinations, extracurriculars, essays and references will provide a good insight into how your performance compares to students from other schools. It will also help them see that your school gives low grades. That’s typically what the standardized tests are designed for - a worldwide benchmark that ignores everything else.
Out of interest, which school exams are you talking about? Are they a national exam board or something only your school offers?
Thank you, by exams I was thinking of both SACs (School Assessed Coursework) as they are known in Victoria and other general testing, assessments and assignments that are written by the school and come up in end and mid-year reports.
Gotcha. Yep I would stick with my original answer! Best of luck with your exams!
