Hey y'all, I'm a bit confused about the difference between a regular GPA and a weighted GPA. Can someone please explain the difference and how each one is calculated? And which one do colleges usually look at?
Hello! I'm happy to help clarify the difference between a regular (unweighted) GPA and a weighted GPA.
Unweighted GPA is calculated based only on the grades you receive in your classes, typically on a scale from 0.0 to 4.0. Letter grades are assigned numeric values: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0. So, to calculate your unweighted GPA, add up the numeric values of all your letter grades and divide by the total number of classes.
On the other hand, a weighted GPA takes into account the difficulty of the courses you're taking (like honors, AP, or IB courses). Schools might use a 5.0, 6.0, or even higher scale to calculate weighted GPA, depending on how they give extra weight to advanced courses. Typically, for these courses, an 'A' might be worth 5 points, a 'B' is worth 4, and so on.
For example, let's say a student gets an A in three regular classes and a B in an AP class. Their unweighted GPA would be (4+4+4+3)/4 = 3.75. If their school assigns 0.5 extra points for AP classes, their weighted GPA would be (4+4+4+3.5)/4 = 3.875.
As for which GPA colleges look at, it depends on the specific college. Generally, colleges will take both your unweighted and weighted GPA into consideration, although sometimes they might also have their own method of recalculating students' GPAs, to create a level playing field across high schools with different grading systems.
Regardless of the specifics, they will undoubtedly review your transcript, which includes your course load, rigor, and grades, and allows the admission officers to understand your academic performance in the context of the classes you've taken and your school's grading scale. Remember that it is essential to focus not only on achieving a high GPA, but also on taking a challenging course load that demonstrates your commitment to learning and excelling in your subject areas. Colleges want to see that you're prepared for more advanced coursework, so a slightly lower unweighted GPA, if earned in difficult classes, can be more impressive than a higher one without the same level of course rigor.
Good luck with your academic journey!
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