Hey guys! I'm getting ready to apply to a few colleges and I realized CU Boulder is actually one of my top choices. Their academics look great but I'm a bit unsure about how their GPA calculator works. Does anyone know the specifics of how they calculate GPA? What factors do they take into account? Thanks!
CU Boulder, like many universities, uses a 4.0 scale to evaluate your GPA. Here's how it works:
1. They first convert your letter grades to points - an A is 4 points, B is 3 points, C is 2 points, D is 1 point, and F is 0 points. Plus and minus grades (like B+ or A-) also hold merit. A '+' increases the point by 0.3 and a '-' decreases the point by 0.3. Hence, an A- would be a 3.7, a B+ would be 3.3, etc.
2. Then, they multiply those points by the number of credits each class is worth to get the 'Quality Points' for each class. For instance, if you got a B (3 points) in a class that was worth 3 credit hours, you'd multiply 3 by 3 to get 9 Quality Points for that class.
3. These Quality Points are summed across all your classes and then divided by the total number of credit hours to calculate the weighted GPA.
What CU Boulder DOES NOT factor in is the level of difficulty of the courses you take. This means an A in an AP class would give you the same number of points as an A in a regular class. It's also important to remember that each high school may calculate GPA a little differently. Colleges are aware of this and look at your transcript in the context of what was offered at your school.
Whilst CU Boulder considers unweighted GPA, they still value challenging coursework. So in addition to maintaining a solid GPA, taking rigorous classes (like AP or IB) can enhance your profile. Good luck!
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.