Does your high school GPA transfer to college?

I'm curious if colleges take into account my high school GPA once I transfer. Does it carry over, or is my focus mainly on college-level courses and grades at that point?

When you transfer from one college to another, typically your high school GPA does not get transferred. Rather, your college GPA at your current institution is what primarily matters to your prospective institution.

Once you've started college and earned college credits, your college GPA and course history are the bedrock of your academic profile for transfer admissions. Though your high school academics may be looked at in conjunction with your college performance, especially if you're transferring after only a short period in college, let's say after one semester or one year, your college GPA takes precedence. This underscores the importance of maintaining strong academic performance in all of your courses at your current institution.

Even if high school grades were stellar, a poor college GPA will likely be seen as more indicative of your current academic capabilities and achievement. On the other hand, if you didn't do well in high school but have since shown significant improvement in college, this demonstrates your ability to handle college-level coursework – something that admission officers will notice.

However, keep in mind that other things also play a role in the transfer application process, such as your reason for transferring, extracurricular involvement, and recommendation letters. These elements can show who you are beyond your GPA and can hold weight in the decision-making process as well.

Lastly, while transferring, the credits you earned at your original school may not all transfer to your new school. It depends on the credit transfer policy of the institution you are transferring to, so you'll need to check with the capricious offices to see what credits they'll accept. You should be prepared that some of your credits might not count at your new institution, meaning you might need to take more courses at your new institution than you initially planned.

Overall, your main focus should be on maintaining or improving your college-level grades and engaging in meaningful, relevant activities if you plan on transferring.