Weighted or Unweighted GPA?Answered
I'm wondering whether I should report weighted or unweighted GPA on Common App. My school counselor recommends using unweighted GPA. However, my school calculates GPA in an unusual manner. I've got a 99.3% cumulative average, which translates to a 3.975 at my school. However, I know some people at a different school who have around 95% cumulative averages and 4.00 GPAs.
If I don't report 4.0 unweighted, will that put me at a disadvantage? Should I report my weighted GPA (4.68) instead?
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2 answers
Hello, Love! This is a tough question, and it can depend on the school you're applying to, as well.
High schools tend to have differing scales for how they calculate unweighted GPA. Some schools do it on a 5.0 scale, and some even do it out of 10.0. While colleges are made aware of the scale your school uses, your unweighted GPA can still be a little bit harder to interpret since scales are so diverse. I personally would report your unweighted GPA, as it's a more universal scale, and it more uniformly reflects how you did across all of your classes. A 4.0 UW GPA is basically universally excepted as a "perfect" GPA, and that of a straight-A student.
I'd recommend reporting your unweighted GPA to schools, but I don't think you'd necessarily be at a disadvantage if you chose to report your weighted GPA. Always remember that so much more goes into your application and admissions than just your GPA, so don't overly stress about this! You've got it! Best of luck to you! <3
Honestly, all schools recalculates GPA in their own way. For example, UCs only allow 8 Honors/AP Courses to count as weighted, and because you report all your courses anyway, it doesn't really matter. One important thing is that there is virtually no difference in an applicant with 3.975 and 4.0, just like how a 1550 and 1600 are treated essentially the same for both. Especially for top schools, your GPA is more or less a threshold. It is your essays which will set you apart from others. Best of luck!
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