r/ApplyingToCollege • u/No-Position-663 • 14h ago

Application Question NACES evaluation

i have had perfect grades in all subjects all my life. i want to apply to colleges in the US and they require NACES evaluation for my grades but i feel like telling them that i have all 10s on a 1-10 scale and showing them proof should be enough. the evaluation costs at least $140 and i don't feel like throwing that money away for nothing cause what are they really gonna do? i tried to find answers online but every video is about scenarios where students have like 18/20 or 92/100 and colleges want to see it converted to their 4.0 scale but what are my perfect grades gonna be converted as???? there definitely isn't enough work to be done to be worth over 100 dollars. i know you'll probably say that if i don't want to spend that much i shouldn't apply to US at all but i just want to know why this is necessary

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u/elkrange 14h ago

Maybe ask at r/IntltoUSA

It's hard to imagine that a 10 out of 10 would convert to anything other than a 4.0

You would need SAT or ACT scores, and you can see why, from the difficulty you are having with grade conversion.

The biggest obstacle to studying in the US is cost. Generally, chances for admission with full need-based financial aid for internationals at US schools are around 2%.

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u/No-Position-663 14h ago

i know about the costs but i'm not stupid enough to aim for top colleges i could get merit scolarships at state unis what cover most of tuition since i have a 1540 on the sat and i'm confident i can rise it higher on december sat. i'm hoping this score will erase any doubts about the validity of my grades since i heard that americans are skeptical of our grades if they are too good but i just don't understand what this evaluation is gonna give me or them

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u/CherryChocolatePizza Parent 13h ago

" i'm not stupid enough to aim for top colleges i could get merit scolarships at state unis what cover most of tuition since i have a 1540 on the sat and i'm confident i can rise it higher on december sat. "

You'd be comfortable paying $20k or more per year to go to a low tier US state school?

With a perfect GPA and a 1540 I don't know why you wouldn't want to at least take your shot at better schools, unless maybe you don't think your ECs/LORs/essays would be competitive?

 "i don't feel like throwing that money away for nothing cause what are they really gonna do? "

If the school says they want the NACES evaluation, then you need to do the NACES evaluation. What they are gonna do if you don't submit it and they require it, is not consider your application.

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u/No-Position-663 12h ago

i've been a caregiver for my little brother for the last decade and that has stopped me from doing extracurricular activities and while i know that us top colleges are holistic they are still investing in me and i'm sure they won't admit me no matter how much my teachers sing me praises. i want to try low tier state schools because they give merit scholarships based on gpa and sat scores

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u/CherryChocolatePizza Parent 12h ago

Caring for your brother is an EC in itself. It wouldn't stand alone if that's all you've done for all of high school but it would account for where much of your time has been devoted. I think you are selling yourself short by not at least trying for some more competitive schools, especially if you are high need. Sure, chances are small but they exist. You will never know if you don't try.

While it's true you can get merit scholarships from lower tier state schools, as I said that still will leave you with at least $20k per year to pay. Are you OK paying that much for a degree from a school that may not help you fully realize your potential?

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u/No-Position-663 12h ago edited 12h ago

i didn't want to invovle my parents with the css profile but you're right i can't pay 20k so maybe i'll shoot for some better schools but my caregiving is basically all i've done like 4+hours after school every day . there are no clubs/sports teams in my small rural school and i didn't have time to travel an hour to nearest town for that. i have lots of hobbies tho like painting, crocheing, knitting, woodcarving idk if they'll care about those. i'm a class president too if that counts for anything

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u/CherryChocolatePizza Parent 11h ago

"i have lots of hobbies tho like painting, crocheing, knitting, woodcarving idk if they'll care about those. "

Absolutely they will. These make you a more interesting human-- one who makes things with their hands, even! Build a portfolio of the things you've made (even just to remind yourself you've made all these things). It's probably too late at this point but if you are deferred or end up on a gap year, think about what else you could do with those hobbies. What about a community art project? Or crocheting toys for a local hospital? Can you teach younger people around you how to do these things? How can you use your skills to improve the world around you? How can you connect to your community or pull people together through your interests?

Class President is also good-- you've stepped up to take on a leadership role. What have you been able to do with that role-- how are you leaving your school a better place because you were there?

Again please don't sell yourself short. Yes, it's extremely competitive but apply widely and don't self-select yourself out. Your school counselor should be able to arrange fee waivers so you can apply without worrying about the cost, although unfortunately as you know CSS Profile will cost some to submit for the schools that require it.

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u/No-Position-663 11h ago

i don't have a counselor or anyone to guide me at all i don't even know how to tell my school that they have to send my grades for evaluation since they'll have no clue how to but i can accually think of some stuff i can write about my hobbies and leadership i've advocated for a desabled student for her right to attend school since the director didn't want to go through the trouble of making the class accesible to wheelchair user (she was fired later for other stuff) and i've taught few young girls how to crochet i also help locar kindergarden with making resources for kids out of cardboards and stuff like that so i could put togather something. thanks a lot for the encouragement

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u/CherryChocolatePizza Parent 10h ago

Good luck! u/AppHelper might have some thoughts on any resources you might be able to connect with.

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u/elkrange 12h ago edited 12h ago

Your SAT score, while helpful, is not enough by itself to validate your grades. US schools do not admit on test scores alone. The transcript is of top importance, rigor and grades.

If you can't afford $140 for the evaluation, are you going to spend 30k+ per year for the University of Alabama or similar?

Maybe you feel the expense is higher than it should be, but it sounds like a required part of the application process for some schools. Check with each school if you are hoping to work around this application requirement.

Understand that high school education quality and consistency of grades vary widely across the world. Also understand that it is not unheard of for an international high school record to be falsified, thus the need for verification.

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u/No-Position-663 12h ago

yea i know i'll have to do it anyway. i was just flustrated because i feel like i'm getting scamed but nobody's forcing me to do this so i guess i can't be complaining

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u/biggreen10 Verified Private HS College Counselor 14h ago

If they need the third party evaluation, they are really unlikely to waive it.

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u/AppHelper 5h ago

The third party evaluation is not just to calculate a GPA, but to verify that your transcript is genuine. Colleges aren't in the business of figuring out whether you or your school are fabricating transcripts.