Hi everyone, I'm a little bit lost here about what the term 'Mean GPA' stands for? I get that it's like an average GPA, but how is it computed? Does this refer to a weighted or unweighted GPA? Any clarification would be super helpful!
Hey, there! "Mean GPA" as you correctly guessed, is essentially the average GPA. The term "mean" in statistics refers to the result when you add all the numbers in a data set and then divide it by the number of entries in that set. So, for instance, if you have three GPAs: 3.5, 3.7 and 4.0, the mean GPA would be equal to (3.5+3.7+4.0)/3 which equals 3.73.
When it comes to weighted versus unweighted, mean GPA could potentially refer to either. It just depends on which type of GPAs are being used in the calculation. In a high school setting, an "unweighted" GPA is often out of a 4.0 scale, without giving extra points for honors or AP classes, whereas a "weighted" GPA does factor in the rigor of classes and can be higher than 4.0.
So basically, if a college discusses the mean GPA of its applicants or admitted students without specifying, they are most likely referring to the weighted GPA since it takes into account the difficulty of classes taken, and is therefore a better reflection of an applicant's high school academic performance. But just to be sure, you may want to reach out to the specific college or consult their website for more information.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.