How can you get a GPA above 4.0?

I was looking at some college application tips and saw some students have a GPA above 4.0. I'm confused. How is this possible? Do AP or honors classes weigh differently? Would appreciate some clarification here.

Sure, let's break this down. The basic concept behind a GPA above 4.0 is called "weighted GPA". In many high schools, advanced courses such as Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) are given an extra point's weight.

For instance, in an unweighted GPA system, A = 4.0, B = 3.0, and so on. But in a weighted system, an A in an AP or IB class might be considered a 5.0 instead of a 4.0. Honors classes usually also receive some sort of weighting, although it can vary from school to school. Some schools might offer a 0.5 increase for honors classes while others might offer a full point, so an A would be a 4.5 or a 5.0 respectively.

So if a student takes a good amount of honors, AP, or IB classes and does well in them, their weighted GPA can exceed 4.0!

However, it's important to keep in mind that some colleges look at the weighted GPA, but many colleges also convert the weighted GPA back into an unweighted GPA for comparing different students who had different weighted options at different high schools.

By having a GPA above 4.0, colleges could see that you challenged yourself with advanced coursework, but just remember to maintain a balance between challenging courses and your ability to keep up with all the work. High grades in regular classes can be more impressive than low grades in AP classes.