Hello, Princeton Reviewers!
Another persistent question for many international and IB students now is how the difference between Pass/Fail classes and calculated/anticipated grades will affect their college admissions. Instinctively, Counsellors advise students that they still try to work toward the best possible grades that they can under the circumstances. If you can show improvement or at the very least consistency during this time, colleges will take notice.
That said, colleges are also aware that present circumstances can make maintaining one's GPA difficult. Students all over the world are without internet or not able to keep up with classes for various reasons, in which case choosing to make a class Pass/Fail would be more than sensible. Everybody has different circumstances, but counsellors and universities need to be made aware of a student's particular situation. Counsellors will help communicate those details as a part of college applications.
Even so, certain regions will not see a difference between Pass/Fail/IE or a calculated grade. Students applying to Australia and certain parts of the UK will not be affected by this difference, assuming they are full IB diploma. US applicants, however, will still be more affected by their transcripts. As always, it helps to communicate directly with your intended schools as much as you can to stay clear on their application policies.
Some students may wonder whether a mix of Passes and Grades is a bad thing. The answer is, potentially. Balance becomes a concern. It could raise a lot of questions from the universities if too many classes are switched to Passes, so counsellors would urge you to be ready to explain why. Neither your counsellors nor your schools want you rushing to choose a Pass over a Grade.
This is due largely to the fact that a Pass does not factor into the calculation of a GPA, unlike traditional Grades. Pass/Fail grading lacks the numerical specificity, which more precisely reflects a student's performance and helps colleges more accurately consider you. After all, anything below an F is still technically a Pass, but how would a D student be separated from an A student in that case? So, unsurprisingly, your current high schools and many of your target universities will expect you to maintain the highest possible level of standards, to get the most out of your present and future education. And we at the Princeton Review encourage the same.
Thank you for reading, Princeton Reviewers!
Keep reviewing, keep learning, and keep reaching!