Quick Question: How do admission committees evaluate Indian undergraduate grades, particularly from lesser-known Indian institutions?

Quick Answer: So if you come from a well-known institution, say the IITs, NIT, Delhi, etc. the schools will have seen a lot of applicants from here and will know what the grades mean. Also, you will notice patterns in schools in the US that once they starting accepting candidates from a particular school, that school will have a sort of validity in the school’s eyes, and understanding of the grading system.

But you are right, that in most cases they have very little idea of what your grades represent. They probably have also never heard of your school. which is why it is so absolutely vital that you provide context!

By that, I mean:

• They have never heard of your school, so you need to give them the school’s ranking.
• They don’t know where you stand relative to other candidates. Is a 70% good or not? You need to tell them! So give them either your ranking, or your percentile.

Basically do what you can to BOOST your profile by putting things into context, and giving them an understanding of where you come from.