In the last month, year 12 students sat their GCSE exams If you are considering applying to US universities, you should know how these results impact your US applications. Though there are many differences between UK and US university admissions reviews, both systems consider grades the most important part of the application. For the US, your GSCE results are a significant part of your application.
The US does not have a national secondary school curriculum. However, US students do receive firm grades every four to six months, depending on their specific school district’s policies. These grades make up the GPA (Grade Point Average) you read about on university websites.
The UK does have a national exam system! Without firm grades every 4 to 6 months, exam results become the only academic assessments that US university admissions committees have to assess UK students. Because the UK only has two sets of exams, GCSE and A-Level/IB, both sets of exams carry significant weight in the review process.
GCSE results are the first set of official exams for secondary school students. These exams essentially stand in for the first two years of US high school grades. Thus, GCSE results count for half of your academic record when a US university reviews your application. These exams are the first academic benchmark US admissions committees use to determine if you should continue through the review process. Also, because both the secondary school curriculum and the liberal arts ethos of US universities advocate for thinking across academic disciplines, results for every subject matter! Some UK universities focus more on the subjects you intend to focus on at university or they weigh A-Level/IB results more. However, that is not the case with US universities! US universities weigh GCSE and A-Level/IB results equally.
When you receive your GCSE results, you should meet with an advisor to help you understand what US university options are still available to you. This meeting can help you begin the pick US schools to research and visit. Also, it can help you set meaningful goals for your last two years of secondary school. Vela advisors are here to help!