Understanding Your GPA: Weighted vs. Unweighted, College Admission, and Scholarships
GPA, or Grade Point Average, plays a crucial role in college admission and scholarship opportunities. Understanding the difference between weighted and unweighted GPAs is essential. Weighted GPAs give more weight to advanced classes like AP and Dual Enrollment, impacting your overall GPA calculation. Unweighted GPAs are based on a 4-point scale, while weighted scales vary for advanced courses. Colleges often consider your unweighted core GPA for admission, focusing on core classes like English, Math, Science, Social Science, and more. It's important to excel in these core courses to boost your GPA and academic profile for higher education opportunities.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR GPA: WEIGHTING GRADES, COLLEGE ADMISSION, AND SCHOLARSHIPS Dr. Alex Karaman College and Career Readiness Coordinator Sabino High School
WHAT IS A GPA? GPA: Grade Point Average The Numerical Representation Of The Average Of All Your Grades Calculated At Multiple Points Of Time: Quarter Semester Cumulative Based On A 4-point Scale: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1
WEIGHTED VERSUS UNWEIGHTED GPA Everyone Has Two Gpas: Weighted And Unweighted Unweighted: Your GPA Calculated On The 4-point Score Regardless Of The Difficulty Of Classes You Took (I.E. Duel Enrollment And AP Classes) Weighted GPA: Your GPA Calculated Where Advanced Classes, AP And Dual Enrollment (DE), Have A Larger Impact On Your GPA Unweighted 4-point Scale: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1 Weighted Scale For AP And DE Classes: A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2
WEIGHTED VERSUS UNWEIGHTED GPA Lets Do Some Quick Math: AP Biology A DE College Algebra B English A U.S. History C Physical Education A Graphic And Web Design B What Is The Weighted And Unweighted GPA For This Semester?
WEIGHTED VERSUS UNWEIGHTED GPA Unweighted GPA Weighted GPA AP Biology A=4 AP Biology A=5 DE College Algebra B=3 DE College Algebra B=4 English A=4 English A=4 U.S. History C=2 U.S. History C=2 Physical Education A=4 Physical Education A=4 Graphic And Web Design B=3 Graphic And Web Design B=3 4+3+4+2+4+3 = 20 5+4+4+2+4+3 = 22 20/6 = 3.33 Unweighted GPA 22/6 = 3.66 Weighted GPA
UNWEIGHTED CORE GPA Many Colleges And Universities Use Your Unweighted Core GPA When Considering You For Admission Core Classes: 4 Years Of English 4 Years Of Math Often Called The Sweet Sixteen For The Sixteen Courses Factored Into The Calculation 3 Years Of Science 2 Years Of Social Science 2 Years Of A Second Language 1 Year Of An Elective
UNWEIGHTED CORE GPA Your Unweighted Core GPA Is Often Lower Than Your Cumulative Unweighted GPA And Your Cumulative Weighted GPA Many Students Get Higher Average Grades In Their Electives Not All Classes Count Towards Your Core Gpa Weighting Is Not Done, But The Difficulty Of Your Courses Is Taken Into Consideration Given This, It Is Arguably More Important To Focus Time On Getting The Best Grades In Your Core Classes
GPA AND CLASS RANK With So Many Ways To Calculate GPA, How Is Class Rank Determined? Cumulative Across All Your Courses In High School Weighted GPA With Unweighted GPA, Many Students Would Share The Number One Rank With A 4.0 Technically, You Have Two Ranks, Weighted And Unweighted If A College Or Scholarship Does Not Specify Which They Want, Report Whichever Gives You The Higher Rank
GPA AND SCHOLARSHIPS Scholarships Are Awarded For A Range Of Reasons: Academic Merit (GPA) Scholarships Cultural Scholarships Diversity Scholarships Financial Need Scholarships All Of These, Not Only Academic Merit Scholarships, Might Have A GPA Requirement Some Look At Your Weighted GPA, Others At Your Unweighted GPA Rarely Does A Scholarships Use Core Unweighted GPA
READING YOUR TRANSCRIPT FOR GPA AND RANK Every Student Has A Transcript Which Includes Every Class They Have Taken, Every Grade They Received At The End Of The Semester, And The Courses They Are Taking Currently At The Bottom Of Your Transcript, You Can Find: Unweighted GPA Weighted GPA Weighted Class Rank Come See A Counselor To Print Your Transcript And Tell You Your Unweighted Class Rank Use Transcripts To Report Your Grades On College And Scholarship Applications
FINAL THOUGHTS ON GPA Your GPA Is A Calculation Of Grades You Received, Not A Reflection Of Your Intelligence Do Not Chase A GPA Or Class Rank If It Causes You Stress, Causes You To Miss Out On Important Events, Or Causes You To Ignore Friends And Family Class Rank Is Less Important Than Most Think For College And Scholarship Purposes It Is Generally Better To Receive A Higher Grade In A Standard Class Than A Lower Grade In An AP Or DE Class Your GPA Is Just One Part Of Your College Application: Your Personal Background And Story, Clubs And Sports, Fine And Performing Arts, And Community Service All Factor In To An Admission Decision
