Understanding the concept of a weighted GPA

So, I'm seeing that colleges talk about unweighted and weighted GPA. I kind of understand unweighted, but what does a weighted GPA mean exactly? Sorry if this is a no-brainer, just want to be sure.

No problem at all, it's absolutely fine to seek clarification! A weighted GPA takes into account the difficulty level of the courses you've taken, in addition to your actual grades. Unlike the unweighted GPA, which assigns the same value (from 1 to 4 or 1 to 5 for A to F grades), a weighted GPA typically allows extra points for more challenging courses.

For example, in many high schools, you can get a 5.0 (instead of a 4.0) for an A earned in an AP (Advanced Placement), IB (International Baccalaureate), or honors class. This reflects the additional effort and rigor of harder courses. So, if you get straight A's in all regular classes, your unweighted GPA would be a 4.0 but if you get straight A's in all AP or IB classes, your weighted GPA could be a 5.0.

It's important to note that different high schools may use a slightly different scale, and not every school offers AP, IB, or honors classes. Also, large variations in GPA weight scales across different schools make college admissions take both unweighted and weighted GPAs into consideration while assessing applications. They might also recalculate using their own methods to equalize applicants from different schools.

But don't stress too much—rest assured that colleges are familiar with the nuances of different high school grading scales, and they primarily focus on the level of rigor in your course curriculum and how well you performed in those courses. It's always a good idea to challenge yourself with tougher courses when you're able, while maintaining a solid GPA.