US uni application process

[bjmin]

Has anyone any knowledge of applying to the US from the UK? Specifically, applying from a top upper school to US Ivies? My question is what gets reported from sixth form to the US unis? Ivy decisions are made in March, but A levels are taken in May/June, so the uni's will not see A level results before making decisions. Unlike the UK, the US does not make conditional offers. So besides previous grades, GCSE's and SAT results, do any results from sixth form get sent to Ivy League Schools? Thanks so much for your help.

Hi DD is possibly applying for US for ‘24; as i understand it we need transcripts of tests/mocks/exams during yr12 as well as formal exams, plus the two academic references, one other reference, and the essays and personal statement. So quite a lot for them to go on. Some Ivys are going to be using SATS again (others have suddenly brought them back in this year as they were finding the process difficult without them eg MIT). DD i think will go for early decision at one, year 12 does look really critical (and a school willing to do the paperwork etc)

Many top schools now 'advertise' their US acceptances (like they do with oxbridge), so there should be a lot of help from the school with applications. My daughter's school had several seminars specifically about applying to US universities as it is such a different school system there.

So specifically from sixth form, it sounds like the mocks get reported. The references etc are all the same as for US applicants. Am just trying to understand what specifically gets reported from sixth form. Early decision applications are typically due 1st November, very early in the school year. Regular applications are due in the first half of January. Then from there on it would seem that a sixth former can relax and not work very hard (assuming that they are not applying to UK unis where A level results count for so much). Thanks

Yes I think year 12 is generally the time the school need to do the references and put the results into format etc; however whilst the places are then unconditional for some colleges we (or possibly school) do have to tell them the final A level results - if there was a very big difference to expectation then they may well review the offer on the basis that the young person may not cope.

to add - the three references aren’t quite the same; our school has been clear that it is additional work for them to do a US application.

I think so long as the applicant achieved a very strong SAT result, then the actual A level result vs expectations would be of little meaning. Many freshman move into their US college the same week as A level results are announced. That said, getting a great set of A level results can be helpful in terms of placing out of US college courses (e.g. AP courses in America).

If your school can’t help with this , there are agencies which specialise in helping through the process

Not sure you need to pay an agency unless going for some big funding options (sports!) - you do need the school to do the right thing at the right time re references and test transcripts; fairly straightforward after that ps most Ivies are not using SATS this year i think

My understanding is the 8 Ivies and Stanford are making the SAT optional this year. I assume it will go back to normal next year and be required.

You need a transcript from year 10 to 13, which has at least three grades per year on it for years 10 to 12 (usually term grades from reports) and one set of grades from year 13 (either report or predicteds). Schools which are used to supporting with US applications will be able to tell you which grades they use for the transcript. Others will cobble something together from reports or internal data.

Although offers are conditional they nearly always have a line saying 'subject to maintaining performance', and many (definitely all ivies+, UCs etc) mean it. We had emails last year asking for an explanation of a student predicted three A stars receiving two A stars and an A, and sge wasn't allowed to enroll until we could satisfactorily explain it. I know of students who've had places revoked for having two subjects one grade below predictions as well.

I walk at a highly selective private school, advising on international university applications.

To add; any application sent ED/EA/REA, often with a Nov 1 deadline, will be sent with a transcript with one set of Y13 grades on it. This will be followed up with a mid-year report in January. Those applying RD bu January will be sent with 2 sets of y13 grades usually, or they'll be added after application but used in decision making.

Thanks for the feedback. So a US Ivy had a freshman starting class in mid-August, the same time A level results are announced, and with the student on campus they questioned A/A/A instead of 3xA* and nearly had the student removed from the school? That seems remarkably harsh especially since American students don't appear to be subject to that. Correct me if I'm wrong, but US high schools are not providing predicted AP test results are they?

Yes, that's what happened, and can happen.
American students aren't applying with predicteds but their schools have to submit a final transcript. It occassionally happens that a student with As on their transcript at the beginning of the year, gets a place, but then loses it if their final transcript shows grades have gone down to a B or C.

Now to be honest, I've only ever know the Ivies+ to be real sticklers for the maintained performance bit and other colleges really don't care, but I get the impression that it's top unis you're talking about.

Yes, my focus is the Ivies/Stanford/MIT/Chicago. Thanks, that's very helpful to know. I'd love to figure out if even the Ivies actually rescinded a student's offer in the middle of August. I can see them sending out some emails asking for an explanation, but do you know of any cases where a kid actually lost his/her spot at an Ivy? I appreciate that if a student says 3xA* and comes up with one short A, but it's not like that kid had 3xC. Pulling a US offer mid-August would absolutely crush a student. They may literally be sitting in their Ivy dorm room and get a knock on the door and thrown out. That's horrible. Thanks again.

I've never had it happen to one of my students. There's a lot of counsellor social media groups though, and our professional organisation has a big conference every year (a few thousand college advisors/counsellors all together), and at the conference and in the Facebook groups there is always someone every year talking about a rescinded offer for one of their students. I'm sure it's not big numbers, and I imagine it's probably a much bigger attainment gap with all subjects being several grades lower, but it's generally known as a possibility. And the universities themselves are very keen to stress it to students at application and decieion time.

Thanks, that makes sense. I'm sure the schools don't want a straight-A student getting a bunch of C's his/her last term. I just asked an American Princeton alumnae with several kids. She said she's heard of rescinded offers as well, but like you, said it's very rare and typically extreme cases.