Australian undergraduates applying to U.S. graduate programs need a WES evaluation to convert their percentage or 7-point scale grades into a 4.0 scale. However, many Australian students lose a significant number of points during this conversion, putting them at a competitive disadvantage—except for Monash University students, who enjoy a notable advantage. In today's sharing, a CheersYou(清柚教育) consultant will analyze the score conversion rules for Australian undergraduates applying to U.S. grad schools and highlight how Monash University gains an edge in this process. For more questions, add CheersYou(清柚教育) consultant: qingyouge23 for detailed information!

In the free WES version, grades are divided into five levels: HD/D/C/P/F, each corresponding to a different WAM. For example, universities like the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales require 85+ for an HD and 75+ for a D; the University of Melbourne requires 80+ for an HD and 75+ for a D. Monash University and the University of Western Australia, however, only require 80+ for an HD and 70+ for a D, and even below 60 is only considered a P. It can be said that on this hard grade threshold, Monash University is one notch more lenient than other Group of Eight universities, giving it an advantage right from the starting line.

Moreover, in the official WES version, both HD and D are considered A-level, i.e., a 4.0. This means that if you are a student at Monash University or the University of Western Australia with a WAM above 70 in each course, even a 71 is very likely to convert to a perfect GPA after WES evaluation.

In contrast, a 71 at the University of Sydney converts to approximately a 3.0–3.1 GPA, a drop of nearly one full point. This directly lowers the competitive tier of U.S. graduate programs a student can apply to by more than one level. Therefore, compared to other Australian universities, Monash University and the University of Western Australia gain a considerable advantage in the U.S. grad school score conversion process!
For more application tips for Australian undergraduates applying to U.S. grad schools, check out previously published articles by CheersYou(清柚教育):
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