Inquiry on GPA: What do colleges look at the most?

I'm a junior in high school, and while I'm trying to maintain my GPA, I keep wondering what colleges actually look for. Is it the cumulative GPA, junior year, weighted, unweighted? What GPA do colleges look at the most?

In the college admission process, colleges consider several factors involving your GPA. Most importantly, they look at your cumulative, unweighted GPA. This is calculated based on all the grades you’ve received in high school and does not take into account any additional points for AP or honors courses. Colleges look at this to get a sense of your overall academic performance throughout high school.

Weighted GPA is also considered as it reflects the rigor of your course load and provides admissions officers with some perspective about your grades in relation to the difficulty of your courses. For instance, a 'B' in an AP or honors course may be weighed more heavily than an 'A' in a regular course.

Although your entire high school performance is noteworthy, many colleges pay especially close attention to grades earned in junior year. The reason being is that it's the last full year of grades that colleges will see before you apply (since you will be applying in the fall of your senior year), and it's expected that your classes in junior year will generally be more challenging than those in your first two years.

In addition, it's important to remember that colleges are not just looking at a standalone number but your academic trajectory over time. For instance, if your grades significantly improved from freshman to senior year, that could be viewed favorably as it shows growth and resilience.

Last but not least, keep in mind that while GPA is a crucial component of your application, colleges also look at other factors like letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and your essays to get a holistic view of you as a potential student. It's not just about the numbers, but about who you are as a person and how you might contribute to their community. Remember that each college may weigh these factors differently.