American University?

Question

i plan to attend a good american university but i'm an irish student and i won't get the results of my leaving cert until august the year i go to college. i haven't really been working to get good junior cert results and though i know i will get brilliant leaving cert results if i put in a bit of work i'm wondering if i've already screwed myself out of a shot at the better universities as all i'll have when i send in my application will be my junior cert, though i will probably have good SATs then which may show i was capable of more. I heard that schools may accept international students on the basis of what they are expected to get in their exams and then refuse entry to the ones who don't do well enough afterwards but i need to be sure. I intend to try and get into MIT if that helps

Answer 1

I'm not sure how this works in Ireland, but in the U.S., students also apply for university before having finished their last year of school, so the fact that you don't yet have your leaving cert results (which I assume would be the equivalent of your final GPA for us) would not be a deterrent.

However, you say that you haven't been working hard to get good junior cert results, and since that and your SATs will be all that you will have, those will be of enormous significance. Add to that the fact that MIT is the most competitive university to get into in the country, I'm afraid you don't stand a chance unless both your cert results and your SATs are brilliant, not just good.

If you were applying to other types of schools in the U.S., you would have a better chance.