As you analysis schools and their admissions insurance policies, you may even see that some colleges ask for a weighted grade level common (GPA) somewhat than an unweighted model. However what’s a weighted GPA?
A weighted GPA is a recalculated model that takes into consideration the issue of your courseload. In case you took school prep programs, honors courses, or Superior Placement (AP) programs, a weighted GPA could profit you by supplying you with additional factors.
However not all schools require weighted GPAs, and a few will recalculate weighted GPAs once they obtain pupil transcripts.
Right here’s what you might want to find out about weighted vs. unweighted GPAs.
Weighted vs Unweighted GPAs: What’s the Distinction?
Relying on the highschool you go to and the programs you are taking, your GPA could also be weighted or unweighted.
What’s an Unweighted GPA?
An unweighted GPA is also called a uncooked rating. Your GPA is calculated solely based mostly on the grades you earn in your courses, and it’s usually based mostly on a 4.00 scale, with a 4.0 being the best-possible rating. Unweighted GPAs are typically extra generally utilized by excessive colleges.
In keeping with The Princeton Overview, right here is how your grades correspond with numerical grades and GPAs:
Letter Grade
Grade Factors
Numerical Grade
A+
4.0
97 to 100
A
4.0
94 to 96
A-
3.7
90 to 93
B+
3.3
87 to 89
B
3.0
84 to 86
B-
2.7
80 to 83
C+
2.3
77 to 79
C
2.0
74 to 76
C-
1.7
70 to 73
D+
1.3
67 to 69
D
1.0
64 to 66
D-
0.7
60 to 63
F
0.0
0 to 59
What’s a Weighted GPA?
Opposite to an unweighted GPA, not solely are weighted GPAs based mostly on the grades you earn, however additionally they think about how tough your course load was. Whereas weighted GPAs use a 4.0 scale, extra factors could be added for those who carry out nicely in tougher programs. For instance, it’s possible you’ll earn an extra proportion level for AP or honors programs. Consequently, it’s potential to have a GPA over 4.0 if it’s weighted.
How colleges rating honors or AP scores range. For instance, some colleges could give an A in an honors course an extra 0.5 or perhaps a full additional level, so college students can have a GPA as excessive as 5.0.
Letter Grade
Common Class Factors
Honors or Superior Placement Class Factors
A
4 Factors
5 Factors
B
3 Factors
4 Factors
C
2 Factors
3 Factors
D
1 Factors
2 Factors
F
0 Factors
0 Factors
To calculate your GPA, add the factors per class and divide by the variety of programs accomplished.
For instance, let’s say you took the next programs and earned the next grades:
Honors English: A
Honors Chemistry: C
Customary Calculus: A
Customary American Historical past: B
Right here’s how your grades would translate to weighted and unweighted GPAs:
Letter Grade
Factors (Unweighted)
Factors (Weighted)
Honors English
A
4 Factors
5 Factors
Honors Chemistry
C
2 Factors
3 Factors
Customary Calculus
A
4 Factors
4 Factors
Customary American Historical past
B
3 Factors
3 Factors
Whole
13 Factors
15 Factors
GPA
3.25 (Unweighted)
3.75 (Weighted)
Divide the whole unweighted factors by the variety of programs — 4 — and you discover that your cumulative GPA is 3.25.
To calculate your weighted GPA, divide the weighted factors by the variety of programs — 15 divided by 4 — and your weighted GPA is 3.75.
You too can use a GPA calculator to seek out out what your weighted GPA is.
Do Faculties have a look at Weighted or Unweighted GPAs?
As you start the school admissions course of, it’s possible you’ll be questioning if universities think about weighted or unweighted GPAs. Insurance policies range by college, so which GPA the school seems at will range by establishment.
By default, some excessive colleges present solely weighted GPAs to schools once they ship pupil transcripts. Some schools will settle for these weighted GPAs, however some colleges will request the unweighted GPA as a substitute.
No matter which kind of GPA your highschool makes use of, you don’t have to fret about adjusting it your self on your school purposes. Faculty admissions departments have their very own procedures for reviewing transcripts and recalculating applicant GPAs based mostly on their particular weighting techniques. As a result of excessive colleges have completely different course choices and reporting strategies, schools use their very own strategies to standardize the admissions course of.
What GPA do you might want to get into school?
Your grades play a significant position in whether or not you’ll get into your dream college. In keeping with a survey of faculty admissions professionals launched by the Nationwide Affiliation for Faculty Admission Counseling, 75% mentioned that course grades are the most important issue they think about, a better proportion than those who say they think about grades in school prep programs.
For many four-year schools, you will have a GPA of two.7 or larger to get accepted right into a program. Nonetheless, you probably have your coronary heart set on a extra selective college, like an Ivy League college, you’ll want a considerably larger GPA. Under are the acceptance charges and common unweighted GPAs for a few of the most selective colleges within the nation:
Faculty
Acceptance fee
Common GPA
Harvard College
4%
4.0
Johns Hopkins College
7%
3.93
Princeton College
6%
3.95
Stanford College
4%
3.96
College of Pennsylvania
7%
3.9
Making use of to Faculty
Now that you know the way weighted and unweighted GPAs work, you’ll be able to slender down your listing of potential schools. Faculty Confidential is a wonderful useful resource; it has a searchable database that permits you to seek for schools based mostly in your present GPA and the typical GPA for admitted college students. Within the meantime, proceed to work onerous so you can also make your school desires a actuality.
