What does a 1.9 GPA represent?

Hi everyone, I was talking to a friend who mentioned they have a 1.9 GPA and I'm not exactly sure what that means. How does a 1.9 GPA relate to letter grades and percentages? Is that considered low for college applications?

A GPA represents a student's average performance across all their classes, with letter grades typically translating to the following numeric values: A (4.0), B (3.0), C (2.0), D (1.0), and F (0.0). The specific percentages associated with each letter grade may vary slightly by school, but in general, a 1.9 GPA indicates that the student's grades consist primarily of Cs and Ds, with some lower or higher grades mixed in.

In the context of college applications, a 1.9 GPA is considered low. Most four-year colleges and universities have minimum GPA requirements for admission, and applicants with a GPA below 2.0 usually face challenges in getting accepted. However, some community colleges or technical schools might have more lenient requirements and accept students with lower GPAs.

If your friend is looking to improve their GPA before applying to colleges, they should focus on raising their grades in their remaining classes and considering retaking courses where they performed poorly, if their school allows it.

Additionally, getting involved in extracurricular activities, developing strong relationships with teachers to secure solid recommendation letters, and crafting a compelling personal essay can also help bolster their college application despite a low GPA. Keep in mind that some schools practice holistic admissions, where other factors and talents are taken into account in addition to academic performance.