Hi everyone, I might be attending Michigan Tech next year and I'm curious about their GPA calculation system. Does anyone know if they use a weighted or unweighted scale? Can someone walk me through the calculation process?
Hello! Michigan Tech, like most colleges, calculates GPA using a 4.0 scale, but it uses an unweighted system. This means that your grade values are not adjusted based on the difficulty level of the courses you took (whether it's an honors course, AP, or a standard course, each course has the same weight).
Here's a step-by-step guide to help you calculate your unweighted GPA for Michigan Tech:
1. Convert letter grades to grade points: First, convert each of your letter grades into grade points by using Michigan Tech's grade scale:
- A = 4.0
- A- = 3.7
- B+ = 3.3
- B = 3.0
- B- = 2.7
- C+ = 2.3
- C = 2.0
- C- = 1.7
- D+ = 1.3
- D = 1.0
- D- = 0.7
- F = 0.0
2. Calculate credits: Next, determine the number of credit hours for each course you have completed (most schools will have their credit hour value written on your transcript or course catalog). Keep in mind, some courses may have more credit hours than others, depending on their length and complexity.
3. Multiply grade points by credit hours: Multiply the grade points for each course by the number of credit hours for that course. This gives you the weighted grade points for each class.
4. Add up credit hours and weighted grade points: Calculate the total number of credit hours you have completed, and sum up all of the weighted grade points you calculated in step 3.
5. Divide the sum of weighted grade points by the sum of credit hours: Finally, divide the sum of the weighted grade points by the sum of the credit hours. The resulting number is your unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale.
For example, let's say you completed 4 courses:
Course 1: A (4.0) | 3 credit hours
Course 2: B (3.0) | 3 credit hours
Course 3: A- (3.7) | 4 credit hours
Course 4: C+ (2.3) | 3 credit hours
Calculate the weighted grade points for each course:
Course 1: 4.0 3 = 12.0
Course 2: 3.0 3 = 9.0
Course 3: 3.7 4 = 14.8
Course 4: 2.3 3 = 6.9
Add up the credit hours and weighted grade points:
Credit hours: 3 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 13
Weighted grade points: 12.0 + 9.0 + 14.8 + 6.9 = 42.7
Calculate GPA: 42.7 (weighted grade points) ÷ 13 (credit hours) = 3.28
In this example, your unweighted GPA at Michigan Tech would be 3.28. Keep in mind that calculating your GPA manually is just an approximation, and Michigan Tech may calculate it slightly differently based on its specific policies and criteria.
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