Help! Need to Calculate My GPA on a 4.0 scale

This may seem like a silly question, but I'm genuinely lost. How do I calculate my GPA on a 4.0 scale? I've tried using online calculators but I'd love to understand the method behind the madness. Thanks!

Sure, happy to help clarify the process, it's not silly at all! Here's a basic breakdown of the method and the related steps:

1. Conversion: This is where you convert all grades on your transcript into the equivalent 4.0 scale. Each letter grade generally corresponds to a specific number on that scale:

- A+ and A = 4.0

- A- = 3.7

- B+ = 3.3

- B = 3.0

- B- = 2.7

- C+ = 2.3

- C = 2.0

- C- = 1.7

- D+ = 1.3

- D = 1.0

- D- = 0.7

- F = 0

This scale may differ slightly depending on the school or system, so it's always good to verify with your specific school's policy.

2. Weighting: If you have taken AP, IB, or Honors classes, some schools will add additional grade points to your total to reflect the increased difficulty. For example, a grade of B in an Advanced Placement class might be equivalent to 4.0 instead of the usual 3.0. Again, this depends on your school's policy.

3. Averaging: Now for each class you've taken, you'll multiply the corresponding 4.0 scale number by the number of credits that the class was worth. So, for example, if you received an A in a 3 credit class, you'd calculate 4.0 (the grade point for an A) times 3 (the credit hours) which equals 12. Once you've done this for all of your classes, you add up all these numbers for a grand total.

4. Final Calculation: Finally, you'll divide this grand total by the total number of credit hours you've taken. This will provide you with the grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

So for an example: if you have taken two classes of 3 credits each and earned an 'A' in one (equating to 12, 4.0 3) and a 'B' in the other (equating to 9, 3.0 3), then your GPA is (12+9) / 6 = 3.5.

Hope this helps! Calculating your GPA can be pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it.