As a junior, I'm beginning to think a lot about colleges and their expectations. It would be helpful to know what the national average GPA is, as a benchmark. Would any of you know? Thanks in advance!
The national average GPA for high school students in the United States tends to be somewhere around 3.0, based on unweighted GPA. However, it's important to keep in mind that college admissions officers won't just be comparing you against the national average; they'll also consider your school's average GPA, the rigor of your coursework, and general trends in your grades throughout high school.
Since you are considering your GPA in comparison to college expectations, you'll want to look more specifically at the average GPAs at the specific colleges which interest you. Selective colleges often have higher average GPAs for admitted students, frequently in the range of 3.8 to 4.0 unweighted. Of course, this can vary extensively by the particular school, so it's always a wise idea to research the expectations of each of your target colleges.
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