How GMAT and GRE scores can help with grad school admissions

The difference between a weighted and unweighted GPA can be confusing, especially for students trying to decide whether to take AP, honors, or IB courses. Weighted GPAs account for course difficulty, while unweighted GPAs reflect pure academic performance. Admissions officers see both — they can view your grades next to the type of class you took. A strong unweighted GPA with consistent A’s often makes a better impression than a slightly lower GPA filled with advanced courses that felt overwhelming. Colleges value balance, effort, and growth. The goal is to build a transcript that shows challenge and success, not burnout.

Today’s publication of the Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper feels like a positive step forward for our sector. It recognises the crucial role that colleges play in developing skills, supporting communities, and creating opportunities for all learners. I particularly welcome the focus on young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) and the new Level 1 preparation for GCSE programme. Helping every learner progress, especially in English and maths, is essential to long term success. It is also encouraging to see a stronger emphasis on investment and funding simplification, even though simplification can sometimes bring its own challenges. The commitment to a more transparent and sustainable system is the right one. I am pleased too to see greater focus on collaboration, specialisation and colleges working together to meet skills needs. Very apt today, after chairing a workshop of the Colleges for North East England group, where collaboration and partnership working were in full flow! I even quite like the new V Level branding for vocational qualifications. This White Paper is a welcome opportunity to strengthen the system and reaffirm the vital role of colleges in transforming lives and supporting our communities. #FurtherEducation #Post16 #SkillsForLife #WhitePaper #VLevels #CollegesTogether #TechnicalEducation #DerwentsideCollege #LifelongLearning #EducationReform

The Hidden Side of Academic Success — What Grades Don’t Tell You About Your Child’s Learning Your child brings home a report card. You see A’s, B’s — maybe a few surprises. But what does it really tell you? Grades often capture the outcome, not the journey. Behind every mark lies a mix of skills, emotions, and habits shaping how your child learns. True academic progress rests on four pillars every parent should know: → Cognitive Skills: How your child thinks, reasons, and solves problems. → Socio-Emotional Skills: How they manage emotions, confidence, and relationships in learning. → Academic Knowledge: The actual subject understanding (English, Math, Science, etc.). → Executive Function: The ability to plan, focus, and follow through. When one pillar weakens, the whole structure wobbles. That’s why focusing only on test scores can miss what really matters — growth. On our next post — Part 2, we’ll explore how to observe your child’s learning progress the right way — and what to look for beyond grades. P.S. Our IGCSE English and Maths programs begin on Nov 3rd & 4th, 2025. They’re expertly designed to help students excel in their global education journey. 📅 Enrolments are open now — register early to secure your child’s seat! (Find the registration link in comments) #Parenting #Education #IGCSE #StudyAbroad #AcademicSuccess

“Do I have a good GMAT score or am I being delusional?” -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Everyone wants to know: What is a “good” GMAT score? Honestly, it depends on where you’re applying and what your overall profile looks like. At the end of the day, everyone has unique GMAT score and business school goals — best not to compare yourself with others, right? Generally, the higher a school ranks, the higher the GMAT scores tend to be for admitted students. On the other hand, schools that rank lower often have more flexible score ranges (these are more forgiving). That’s why it’s always a good idea to check the website of your target school to determine the minimum GMAT scores they require for admission to their programs - one of the first steps. IMPORTANT: If you’re gearing up to apply to a business school, you must know the difference between competitive and safety scores. A competitive score is one that puts you in the top range of applicants for your dream schools. These scores are usually at or above the average for students who were actually admitted, especially at highly ranked programs. Whereas a safety score is at or a bit above the average for a program, giving you a higher chance of getting in. These scores aren’t necessarily your highest possible, but they put you in a good position for schools where you meet or exceed typical admissions numbers. Recommend this article if you’re interesting in learning more about GMAT scores: https://lnkd.in/eZaeajCm Good luck on your GMAT journeys :) 

I recently spoke to Juliette Rowsell at Times Higher Education about the Teaching Excellence Framework and what it does and doesn’t tell us about teaching quality. I have supported the TEF because it encouraged universities to take teaching seriously and to reflect on whether strategies were making a meaningful difference for students. That was a positive step for the sector. But the changes proposed as part of the Office for Students consultation cause for concern. By linking TEF ratings to funding, student growth and degree-awarding powers risks widening the gap between already well-resourced institutions and those working hard to support students with fewer resources. There are also deeper questions about what TEF actually measures. Teaching outcomes are shaped by a range of factors, including subject mix, colleagues’ expertise, professional body expectations, learning resources and students’ backgrounds. As I said in the piece: “The metrics are what we can measure, they’re not necessarily the definitions of fantastic pedagogy.” And yet, we still need to demonstrate the quality of what we offer. I don’t think scrapping TEF is the answer. As I told THE: “We’re in a metrics world, and we absolutely do have a responsibility to show our students that when they invest in a university degree, they can be confident that this is a university that cares about their experience and cares about their teaching.” That is what should be at the heart of any system that claims to measure excellence. Read the full article here:  https://lnkd.in/eCJ56z7N  #TEF #TeachingExcellence #StudentExperience #HigherEducation #LondonMet #EducationLeadership 

📣 College Application Alert: Understanding the SRAR! 💡 As you navigate college applications, you may encounter the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR or SR). It’s important to know that while not all colleges use this system, it is employed by many large and popular universities seeking to standardize their review process. The University of Delaware (UD), for example, is one institution that relies heavily on the SRAR. UD utilizes the SRAR in lieu of looking at the official high school transcript that your counseling office would typically send when you apply. Why does UD use the SRAR? Since every high school formats their transcript differently, UD uses the SRAR to achieve a standardized, consistent evaluation. • The SR takes into account the rigor of a student's courses. • The SR platform performs a crucial recalculation, allowing UD to utilize a standardized weighted GPA system. • This weighted GPA recalculation ultimately helps streamline our admissions review process. UD isn't the only major university using the SRAR! Institutions often adopt this method to ensure equity and speed in their review process. Other popular schools that utilize the SRAR include institutions like Penn State University, Rutgers University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Clemson University. If you are applying to a school that uses the SRAR, accuracy is critical! Ensure your information is consistent with your official records. #SRAR #CollegeAdmissions #UniversityofDelaware #ApplicationTips 🎓✅

📚 On the topic of GCSE Maths - the gatekeeper... Once upon a time, my niece scored well in 29 of her 30 GCSE papers. The one exception was Maths - her nemesis - where a handful of points on one of the three papers landed her a D overall. GCSE Maths grade C is a dividing line: your pathway to A levels, university, and countless job opportunities. The weeks that followed were brutal. Her A-level plans were cancelled, and her confidence. At best she’d fall out of step with her friends - at worst, risk university altogether. She was inconsolable at times. Following her school’s advice - a ‘good’, rankings-conscious school - she was steered into credentials that, within weeks, became clear would lead nowhere. It was at the ‘bad’ college we were able to negotiate a path where she could retake that Maths paper and pursue qualifications that kept the 'regular' route to university open to her. She did go to uni - on time. She did Camp America, won an award from the House of Lords. She graduated with honours, built a career in her field and moved to Scotland. She bought her first flat at 25, took a year out to travel at 30. She lives a full and rich life. Once a complete homebird, at university she found her wings and her independence. I often wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t had the confidence to be honest and speak up when it was clear the classwork didn't meet the level of her potential. Parents who trusted their instincts over school advice that felt off, an aunt with admissions experience who could go to bat for her. Or an alternate schooling provider, willing to prioritise individual student need over ranking position. Exams pave the path to success. But they are barriers to opportunity too.

The new skills white paper 'shows a belief in colleges which we have not seen before and backs it up with some of the investment needed to overcome the long-term neglect the sector has suffered', says David Hughes of the Association of Colleges. But he also warns that it leaves 'gaps'. Among them, the paper is 'silent on the need for better alignment with school sixth forms' which is a 'missed opportunity'. https://lnkd.in/e2Bf_ss7

The Puzzle Behind College Pricing? Ever wondered how colleges actually decide the price of a course? Sure, there’s the cost side — faculty salaries, campus maintenance, tech upgrades — that part makes sense. But what really puzzles me is the markup. How do they decide that an undergraduate course should cost ₹40 or ₹50 lakhs? I can’t help but ask — what’s the value being offered for that kind of money? Is it better faculty, smaller class sizes, stronger placements… or just a brand name that signals prestige? Sometimes it feels like the price tag is less about education and more about aspiration — what the market will pay rather than what the experience is worth. When I compare this with the growing access to quality online learning, mentorship programs, and international collaborations, I start wondering — are colleges pricing learning or selling status? Maybe it’s time for more transparency. Imagine if institutions broke down how your fee actually gets spent — how much goes into teaching, research, or infrastructure. That would be a real step toward accountability. Until then, I’ll keep asking: is that ₹50-lakh degree really buying knowledge… or just a logo on the résumé? #HigherEducation #CollegeFees #EducationReform #Education #FutureOfEducation #Undergraduate #MBA

So the ATAR average should be 50, but "But because some students leave school early and the ones who stay on to receive an ATAR are a smaller, more academically able group, the average ATAR is higher." So the average reported ATAR is 70. This seems strangely exact, given the proportion of students who don't recieve an ATAR must fluctuate? And "Its only purpose is to help universities select applicants for their courses." https://lnkd.in/gGG6CkrG So our Year 12 exam system's purpose is to help top universities skim off the most academically high level students (or, more accurately, the ones that performed in Year 12). The Year 12 system of teaching (help them do better than their peers) heavily influences pedagogy in the whole of secondary. Feels competitive... 🤔🤔🤔 (Photo by Yustinus Tjiuwanda on Unsplash)