Does taking AP classes affect my GPA differently?

I’ve heard that AP classes are weighted but I'm not sure what that means for my GPA. How does taking AP classes impact my GPA and what’s this I've heard about a weighted GPA?

Hello there! I'm glad you're curious about how AP classes impact your GPA. You're right that AP classes are often weighted differently from regular classes. This is because AP classes are more challenging and are considered college-level courses. So, to acknowledge the difficulty of these courses, schools usually add extra points to the GPA calculation.

Here's an example to illustrate: In a regular, unweighted GPA, an A is typically worth 4.0 points. However, in a weighted GPA system, an A in an AP class might be worth 5.0 points. The specific amount of the weight can vary. Some schools add 0.5 points for an AP or honors class, while others might add a full point. This means that if you're taking AP courses and you're doing well in them, you could have a GPA that's higher than the usual 4.0 scale. This weighted GPA reflects the increased rigor of your course load, which can look very good to colleges!

It's important to know, however, that colleges often recalculate your GPA for their own purposes and might look at both weighted and unweighted GPAs differently. Some will look at your unweighted GPA to ensure fairness in comparing students from different high schools with different weighting systems. Others will consider the weighted GPA to understand the rigor of your course load. Either way, taking AP classes shows you're challenging yourself academically, which is always a positive in the eyes of admissions officers.