Getting Into College: The Importance of GPA
Your grade point average (GPA) is one of the main factors colleges take into account during admissions. It is a clear indicator of your work habits, your academic ability and your persistence. You’ll need to maintain a high GPA through all four years of high school if you want to get into a good college right after graduation.
What is a good grade point average?
A good way to find out if you have a competitive GPA is to check the average GPA for enrollees of your desired college. These data are available on collegeboard. Simply do a search for the college you are interested in and check the average GPA of the last admitted class. You can also talk to your college counselor or students currently attending the college you want to attend.
How do I determine my unweighted GPA?
To determine your unweighted GPA, simply assign these scores to each of your grades
for 4
second: 3
C: 2
D: 1
F: 0
Add up all of your scores and divide that number by the number of grades. This is the simplest method, although some schools may use a (+) and (-) system. The number you get must be between 0.00 and 4.00. However, if you have taken AP or IB courses, you will also have what is called a “weighted GPA.”
How do I determine my weighted GPA? Why do some people have more than 4.0?
You may notice that some people have more than 4.0. How is this possible? Many colleges look at what’s called a “weighted GPA,” which takes AP or IB classes into account. How they factor it in can vary, but the most common way is to simply add an extra point to the numbers above if the grade received was in an AP or IB class.
Do I really need to go from 4.0?
As the competition continues to increase, it is recommended that you have 4.0+ to be competitive for many colleges, so be sure to take as many AP/IB as you can! They will also benefit you when you enter college because you will earn credit if you pass the AP/IB exam. Simply taking AP and IB classes also looks good when applying to colleges, and the challenges you’ll encounter can help you adjust to the workload when you enter college.
Last words
Anyone can earn a great GPA as long as they work hard and stick with it. This is the quality universities are looking for, so show them you have it! Show them that you can handle high school and that you are ready to study at their school. It’s also important to realize that GPA isn’t the only thing you need to worry about. Many people think that they can get into any university because of their excellent GPA. These are the same people who feel miserable during acceptance season. Don’t let that person be you!
I hope you have gained valuable information from this article.