What's Unweighted GPA and why does it matter?

Been seeing 'unweighted GPA' a lot in college forums. Could someone break it down for me? Like, what does it mean, and how does it factor into college admissions?

An unweighted GPA is a type of grade point average calculation that doesn't take into account the rigor or difficulty level of the courses you've taken. It gives equal weight to all courses, regardless of whether they're regular, honors, or Advanced Placement (AP).

In the U.S., a typical A-F grading scale equates an A to a 4.0, a B to a 3.0, and so on, with the average of these numerical equivalents resulting in your unweighted GPA. So, in this system, the highest possible unweighted GPA would be a 4.0, indicating a straight A average.

On the other hand, in weighted GPAs, harder courses like Honors or AP classes often have an additional grade point added, meaning an A in these classes could equate to a 5.0 rather than a 4.0. This allows students to have GPA’s that are higher than a 4.0.

Now, why does an unweighted GPA matter in college admissions?

While a weighted GPA showcases what grade you made in the class relative to the difficulty of your coursework, an unweighted GPA tells colleges about your consistency in obtaining high grades across all classes, irrespective of their rigor. Moreover, since every school may weight GPAs differently, unweighted GPAs allow college admissions officers to compare students from different schools more easily, as they provide a standard measure.

Often, universities will consider both weighted and unweighted GPA in the admissions process. And even if they give more weight to unweighted GPA, or your school doesn't report weighted GPA, they will also factor in your course rigor separately, as admissions officers receive your whole transcript, with all the coursework you've completed, not just your cumulative GPA.

Just keep in mind that GPA is just one piece of the puzzle in admissions. Extracurricular involvement, test scores (if the school isn't test-blind), and your personal essays also play critical roles in the application evaluation.

If you'd like to learn more about how unweighted vs weighted GPAs are considered during the admissions process, you can check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/is-weighted-or-unweighted-gpa-more-important

Or, if you want to know how your overall profile stacks up at a particular school, I'd check out CollegeVine's free chancing engine, which accounts for all quantifiable elements of your application, including GPA, course rigor, test scores (if you have them), and extracurriculars to give you personalized odds of acceptance at over 1,600 colleges around the country: https://www.collegevine.com/admissions-calculator

This tool will also give you suggestions on how to improve your chances, whether by raising your GPA slightly or some other step, like earning a leadership position in one of your extracurriculars. Good luck with your college process!