So, I've been putting a lot of work into my grades, and I have what I think is a good GPA, but I'm not sure how it stacks up in the eyes of college admissions committees. What do you guys think is generally considered a good GPA? Like is 3.5 and up considered good?
A GPA is interpreted in the context of your intended college's typical admitted student profile. Simply put, a "good" GPA is one that is competitive for the colleges you're targeting.
On a scale from 0 to 4.0, typically, a cumulative high school GPA above a 3.7 would generally be considered good. However, for highly selective colleges, successful applicants often have GPAs that are 3.9 or above (meaning mostly As and some Bs), and many students who are accepted at the most selective schools have perfect 4.0 unweighted GPAs.
Also, remember that the course rigor is critical. A 'B' in an honors or AP class might be viewed more favorably than an 'A' in a standard-level course. A strong GPA in rigorous courses demonstrates to colleges that you're academically ambitious and can handle challenging workloads.
Lastly, bear in mind that GPA standards can vary by field of study—some programs may have higher GPA expectations than others. You should therefore look on the admissions pages of the schools to which you're applying to get a sense of the average GPA of their admitted students.
So to sum up, while a 3.5 GPA is certainly a solid GPA, whether it will be considered 'good' or competitive will depend heavily on the specific schools and programs to which you're applying.
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