How do colleges evaluate high school transcripts?

Hello! I'm a junior, and I've been wondering how colleges evaluate high school transcripts during the admissions process. Do they focus more on GPA or class difficulty, or do they consider both equally? Thanks for any insight!

Hi there! It's great that you're thinking about this aspect of the college admissions process early on. Colleges typically look at both your GPA and the rigor of your classes when evaluating your high school transcript. They want to see how well you've performed academically, but they also want to understand the context of your achievements by considering the difficulty of the courses you've taken. For example, a student with a slightly lower GPA who has taken numerous Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses might be viewed more favorably than a student with a higher GPA but less challenging coursework. That being said, it's important to strike a balance – don't overload yourself with difficult classes to the point where your GPA suffers significantly. Different colleges might weigh these factors differently, but in general, they'll be looking for a combination of strong academic performance and challenging coursework. Best of luck with your college applications!