Hey y'all! Guess who's confused over what seems to be a significant part of the college application? Me! So, what's the deal with weighted and unweighted GPA? See, I have both listed on my transcript, and I'm not sure which one colleges consider more. Any insights would be appreciated.
Hello! Don't worry, this is a common source of confusion for many students. Essentially, the main difference between a weighted and unweighted GPA lies in how grades are accounted for in regard to the difficulty of the classes you've taken.
An unweighted GPA scales typically from 0 to 4.0 and all classes are given equal weight. That means whether the class is an honors, AP, IB, or a standard class, an A in each type of class equates to the same 4.0 value on an unweighted scale.
On the other hand, a weighted GPA scale often goes up to 5.0 and sometimes even higher. This type of scale gives additional points to more difficult courses. For instance, an A in an AP or IB class could equate to a 5.0, compared to a 4.0 in a standard class.
Regarding which one colleges consider more, it depends. Some colleges might recalculate your GPA using their own method, often resulting in a mix between your weighted and unweighted GPA. They might give you more credit for taking rigorous courses, but they'll also have their own way of accounting for how difficult your courses are. It's best to strive for a strong GPA under both metrics to cover your bases!
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