How Should a 10th Grader Plan for University? How Universities in the US, Canada and the UK Treat Grade 10, and How to Plan Courses, Honors Classes, the PSAT and Activities, with Notes for Domestic and International Applicants

If grade 9 is about laying the groundwork, grade 10 is when your application record starts to count: the University of California (UC) begins calculating its GPA from this year; UBC in Canada looks at Grade 11 and 12 courses, which you choose in grade 10; and for most UK courses, pre-16 qualifications such as GCSE English and maths are completed around this stage. Using official sources, this guide explains how much grade 10 matters in the US, Canada and the UK, and lists six things to do this year. If you missed the previous guide, start with how a 9th grader should start planning; for a year-by-year plan, see our application timeline by grade.

1. How much grade 10 matters

• United States (University of California as the example): the UC GPA is calculated from A–G courses completed between the summer after 9th grade and the summer after 11th grade, and UC states that classes taken during the summer after 9th grade count as 10th grade. The minimum GPA is 3.0 for California applicants and 3.4 for nonresidents. Honors courses earn extra points: 1 extra point for each semester of a UC honors-level course, up to 8 points across 10th and 11th grades, with no more than 4 honors points for 10th grade; grades of D or F in an honors course do not earn an extra point (UC GPA requirement).
• Canada (UBC as the example): UBC considers your grades in all Grade 11 and Grade 12 classes; where you took a subject in both years, the focus is on Grade 12, and your lowest grade is dropped unless that course is a degree requirement or relevant to your intended area of study. The key courses UBC names as examples are English 12 and Pre-Calculus 12 (UBC: What we look for). The page does not say grade 10 grades are considered, but grade 10 is when you decide which Grade 11 courses to take.
• United Kingdom (UCAS): UCAS states that universities set their own entry requirements and that most courses, besides Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels, T Levels or Scottish Highers, expect pre-16 qualifications such as GCSE English and maths or their equivalents (UCAS entry requirements). For students in the UK system, this is the time to think about which A Levels to take next, since they determine which degree courses you can apply for.

Region (example)	How much grade 10 matters
US (UC)	Grade 10 grades go straight into the GPA; at most 4 honors points from grade 10
Canada (UBC)	Grade 10 grades are not mentioned; choose Grade 11 courses that lead to key courses such as English 12 and Pre-Calculus 12
UK (UCAS)	Complete pre-16 qualifications such as GCSE English and maths; consider Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels

2. Six things to do in grade 10

1. Choose your Grade 11 courses carefully: check them against the subject requirements of your target universities. UC requires 15 yearlong A–G courses with a grade of C or better, at least 11 of them before the last year of high school, including 3 years of math (4 recommended, with geometry or integrated math with geometry content), 2 years of a language other than English and 2 years of science (3 recommended) (UC A–G subject requirements). If you plan to apply in Canada, make sure your Grade 11 courses lead to key Grade 12 courses such as English 12 and Pre-Calculus 12.
2. Take honors courses within your capacity: UC counts at most 4 honors points from grade 10 and 8 across grades 10 and 11, so one or two honors-level courses you can handle well is enough in grade 10; overloading can pull your grades down. Note also that for nonresidents, UC grants honors weight only for AP or IB courses, not for school-designated honors courses (UC GPA requirement).
3. Keep your grades steady: grade 10 grades go straight into the UC GPA, and a D or F in an honors course earns no extra point. If a subject is getting difficult, talk to your teacher during the term rather than waiting for finals.
4. Move activities from taking part to going deep: UBC's personal profile asks you to describe up to five activities or accomplishments, takes into account your activities across multiple years, and assesses engagement and accomplishment, leadership, substance and voice (UBC personal profile). In grade 10, pick one or two of the activities you tried in grade 9, take on more responsibility, aim for visible results, and keep updating your activity record (dates, weekly hours, role, outcomes).
5. Use the PSAT as a baseline: the College Board PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT share the same structure: 2 hours and 14 minutes, with Reading and Writing (64 minutes, 54 questions) and Math (70 minutes, 44 questions); the total score range is 320–1520 and each section is 160–760. The PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program, and the College Board states that you cannot opt out of sending your scores to NMSC (PSAT 10 structure, PSAT/NMSQT structure, what scores mean, National Merit program). Both are given in schools; ask your counselor when they are offered and which grades can take them.
6. Make good use of the summers around grade 10: UC counts classes taken during the summer after 9th grade as 10th grade, so a summer course can fill an A–G requirement or move you ahead in math. Summer is also a good time to deepen an activity, read widely or complete a small project.

3. Notes for domestic and international applicants (including students in China)

• Domestic applicants: in California, note UC's different rules for California applicants and nonresidents (minimum GPA 3.0 and 3.4; for nonresidents only AP or IB courses earn honors weight). In Canada, plan your Grade 11 and 12 courses within your provincial curriculum; in the UK, focus on GCSE results and your A Level choices.
• International applicants: if you study in your home country's system, UC treats you as a nonresident and grants honors weight only for AP or IB courses; how other universities treat your curriculum, which years of transcripts they need and how to show English proficiency are set out on each university's international pages. English is a long-term project; grade 10 is a good time to learn which English tests and scores your target universities accept.
• Students in China: grade 10 corresponds to the first year of senior high school. If you take AP or IB at an international school, those courses can earn UC honors weight (for nonresidents UC recognizes only AP or IB). If you attend a regular Chinese high school and plan to apply abroad, check how each university uses Chinese high school transcripts, the academic proficiency tests or the gaokao; this varies widely, so rely on each university's international applicant pages. The pages read for this guide contain no specific guidance for applicants from China.

4. The timeline: how long is left

Taking UK 2027 entry as an example, UCAS states that completed applications can be submitted from 1 September 2026; the equal consideration date for Oxford, Cambridge and most courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine/science is 15 October 2026, and for most undergraduate courses it is 13 January 2027 (all at 18:00 UK time, UCAS dates and deadlines). At the time of reading, UCAS had published dates only for 2027 entry. If you are in grade 10 now, your application season is about two years away; grade 11, the year before you apply, is the busiest for grades, tests and activities, and a solid grade 10 makes it much easier. The UK personal statement now has three questions, a total of 4,000 characters and at least 350 characters per answer (how to write your personal statement), and the third question asks specifically about preparation outside education.

5. Common mistakes

• "The more honors courses, the better": UC counts at most 4 honors points from grade 10; extra courses add nothing to the GPA, and falling grades cost more.
• "Grade 10 is still early": the UC GPA starts in grade 10, and the Grade 11 and 12 courses Canadian universities look at are chosen in grade 10.
• "Good test scores are all that matter": the PSAT is a baseline; applications look at four years of courses, grades and sustained experience, and both UBC and UCAS ask specifically what you have done outside the classroom.

Frequently asked questions

Does the University of California count grade 10 grades in its GPA, and how many honors points can I earn?

Yes. The UC GPA uses A–G courses completed between the summer after 9th grade and the summer after 11th grade, and classes taken during the summer after 9th grade count as 10th grade. Each semester of a UC honors-level course earns 1 extra point, up to 8 points across 10th and 11th grades, with no more than 4 honors points for 10th grade; for nonresidents only AP or IB courses earn honors weight.

What is the difference between the PSAT 10 and the PSAT/NMSQT, and how are they scored?

They share the same structure: 2 hours and 14 minutes, with Reading and Writing (64 minutes, 54 questions) and Math (70 minutes, 44 questions); the total score range is 320–1520 and each section is 160–760. The difference is that the PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Both are given in schools; ask your counselor about timing and eligible grades.

Does UBC look at grade 10 grades?

UBC states that it considers grades in all Grade 11 and Grade 12 classes, with the focus on Grade 12 where a subject was taken in both years, and does not mention grade 10. Grade 10 is still when you choose Grade 11 courses that lead to key courses such as English 12 and Pre-Calculus 12.

What are the UCAS application deadlines for 2027 entry?

UCAS states that the equal consideration date for Oxford, Cambridge and most courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine/science is 15 October 2026, and for most undergraduate courses it is 13 January 2027, both at 18:00 UK time. At the time of reading, UCAS had published dates only for 2027 entry.

References

UC A–G subject requirements; UC GPA requirement; PSAT 10 structure; PSAT/NMSQT structure; College Board: what scores mean; National Merit Scholarship Program; UBC: What we look for; UBC personal profile; UCAS entry requirements; UCAS dates and deadlines; UCAS: how to write your personal statement. Pages read in November 2026; rules and dates follow the latest official versions.