IB predicted grades college applications confused me way more than they should have, so here’s the simple version I wish someone gave me earlier.
- Predicted grades matter most for applying if you haven’t finished exams yet. Universities usually see these first.
- Ask how your school calculates them. Some teachers use mocks heavily, others use coursework, class tests, and trends.
- Check if schools want the total score, subjects, or both. A 38 can look different depending on HL subjects.
- Be realistic but advocate for yourself. If a prediction seems low, ask politely what evidence could support a review.
- For US apps, predictions help with context but grades, rigor, essays, and activities still matter a lot.
What helped me most was making a spreadsheet with each college, whether they looked at predicted grades, and if they gave credit for final IB scores. Saved so much last-minute stress.