My daughter school doesn’t offer AP classes. It’s an international school in the US with a strong IB program. Also, she can only take 3 High Level classes and as she is a pre med candidate, she is taking HL math, chemistry and biology. Is there anything else she can do to improve her chances of getting into an Ivy League school? She has an unweighted 4.0 gpa and tested well in the PSAT. Thank you for taking the time to answer.
It doesn't matter that your daughter's HS doesn't offer AP classes. All IVY league universities accept the IB program coursework.
For more detail, I found this paragraph that you might find useful
IB Score Criteria For Ivy league University (from a college prep website)
"There is no minimum score required by the universities as scores are dependent on the course subjects that have been chosen. But to be on the safer side it’s always advisable to score more than 38 or at least 6s or 7s in every subject. Most of these universities would require you to score at least 6s in HL subjects. For example, if you are planning to do engineering then you probably need to score at least a 6 in Mathematics HL. Successful candidates usually have a predicted score of 38 and above to get admission in ivy universities. But remember, Ivy universities are less particular about the scores rather they consider the holistic performance of the student in IB Diploma program. They also consider your personal background, your abilities and your leadership qualities. Students should find out the requirement of the university they want to take admission to."
Recall there are 8 Ivy schools so each one has its own specific high school requirements. Most of them want to see 4 years of English, 4 years of Math, 3-4 years of Science, 3-4 years of History, and 3-4 years of a Non-English language like Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, etc. Also, the test-optional situation we currently have will most likely change 1 or 2 years from now, so pay attention to what each of the 8 Ivys change in the future about ACT/SAT and SAT subject test requirements. Academics are only 1 aspect of the IVY admissions process and they all have different weights on extracurricular activities like community service, volunteering, clubs, leadership roles, musical, artistic, theatre or dance talent, team sports, and individual sports. So it's very important and your child does not spend all her time studying.
Also, with the exception of Brown, none of the IVY colleges have a designated Pre-Med degree or program. The most common majors for applying to medical school are Biology, Physical Science like Chemistry/Physics, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Math. If she wants to save a year or more of college, she should also look into the many BS/MD programs that are geared toward students who already know they want to be a doctor. Some of these programs can be completed in 7 years versus 8 years.
https://blog.collegevine.com/admissions-heros-top-25-combined-bsmd-programs/
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Thank you for your thorough and prompt answer. It was helpful!