In the process of selecting students for enrollment in colleges and universities, grades are frequently regarded as the single most essential element. But how can colleges fairly evaluate applicants when they come from such a variety of high schools? Your grade point average (also known as GPA) is probably already familiar to you because it is typically included on your transcript. But what does that percentage actually mean for colleges? And what does it mean for an unweighted GPA?
A student’s academic performance and academic progress are typically evaluated using their grade point average (GPA), which is a metric that is common in secondary schools and universities. The grade point average (GPA) is determined by assigning a percentage value to each letter grade (A, B, C, etc.) that you obtain for each assignment. The term “grade point average” (GPA) refers to the aggregate value of a student’s grades and is determined on a scale ranging from 0 to 4. Four refers to an A grade and 0 relates to an F grade. In most cases, grade point averages are determined on a scale ranging from 1.0 to 4.0.
Your school, universities, admissions committees, scholarship committees, and many other similar organizations and institutions commonly utilize your grade point average (GPA) as the primary measure of your academic accomplishment in courses. Because of this, it plays a significant role in the process of applying to colleges, and you should do everything in your power (within reasonable and acceptable boundaries, of course) to ensure that it is as high as possible in order to maximize your chances of being accepted to college and receiving a scholarship.
So, What is an unweighted GPA? Technically, Unweighted grade point averages are provided on a scale that ranges from 4.0 to 1.0. This indicates that you would need to have a perfect record as a student in order to obtain a GPA of 4.0. On the opposite side of the spectrum, if you have a perfect record of failing each and every class that you have ever been enrolled in, your grade point average will be 0.
When determining a student’s grade point average, an unweighted GPA indicates that the degree of difficulty of the courses taken by the student is not taken into account. This indicates that if you take all Advanced Placement classes and obtain a grade of B or higher in the majority of them, your overall grade point average will be close to a 3.0. However, if your friend who is less ambitious than you takes all academic classes and gets A’s in all of them, her grade point average will still be better than yours (probably a 4.0), despite the fact that you are taking classes that are more difficult.
You could feel that this is not quite fair to you. This is due to the fact that it happened to a large number of people. As a result, a whole new grading scale was developed to appropriately reflect the amount of effort that students in higher-level subjects, such as honors and AP classes, put into their coursework.
If, on the other hand, your institution solely reports unweighted GPAs, you have less reason to be concerned. This is due to the fact that admissions personnel at colleges and universities study your application with a great deal of care. They will be aware of your institution as well as its policies, and they will make sure to review your transcript in order to determine the subjects that you studied there. Your result of B+ in AP Physics will not be eclipsed by another student’s performance of A- in the academic equivalent of the subject.
How to Calculate an Unweighted GPA?
How to calculate an unweighted GPA? This is a step-by-step instruction that will walk you through the process of calculating your unweighted GPA.
For the purpose of this illustration, let’s pretend that you’ve recently completed your first year as a freshman in high school. Repeat the steps outlined below according to the number of semesters you have already finished if you are further along in the process.
The chart illustrates how each letter grade corresponds to an unweighted grade point average.
| Letter Grade | Unweighted GPA |
| A+ | 4.0 |
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
Now that you’ve seen some examples of these grades in action, we’ll show you some more. As was indicated earlier, imagine that you have just finished your first year of high school and that the first semester of that year went something like this for you:
| Class | Grade | Unweighted GPA |
| English | B+ | 3.3 |
| Science | A- | 3.7 |
| Math | B- | 2.7 |
| Language | A+ | 4.0 |
| History | A+ | 4.0 |
| Theater | B | 3.0 |
To determine your unweighted grade point average, simply sum up all of the marks in the third column, then divide that total by the total number of marks in that column. This is how the term “grade point average” came to be. If you are enrolled in more or fewer than the six classes that we provided, all you have to do is update the table so that it fits your requirements.
You would finish the fall semester with an unweighted grade point average of 3.45 if these were the grades you received for the first semester.
The procedure shifts slightly for the spring semester, as well as subsequent academic years. Imagine that these were the grades you received during the spring semester of your first year of school:
| Class | Grade | Unweighted GPA |
| English | A- | 3.7 |
| Science | A- | 3.7 |
| Math | B | 3.0 |
| Language | A- | 3.7 |
| History | A+ | 4.0 |
| Theater | B | 3.0 |
Your unweighted grade point average for the spring semester would come out to be 3.52, but in order to determine your grade point average for the entire year, you will need to compute the average of these two GPAs, which in this case comes out to be approximately 3.48.
Keep in mind that in order for this to work, you must consistently enroll in the same number of classes each semester. If you choose to add or drop a period, you will need to manually go through and tally up each of your final grades, and then divide the sum by the total amount of periods that you have taken.
What is a Good Unweighted GPA?
What is a good unweighted GPA? The grade point average (GPA) that results from a high school transcript that contains an equal number of As and A-s will be 3.85, which is exactly midway between the 3.7/A- and the 4.0/A. With a greater number of As than A-s, you will end up with a GPA of 3.9 or above, which is considered by most people to be an extremely high GPA. These are the kinds of grades and GPAs that universities in the Ivy League are seeking for. A GPA of close to or below 3.8, which is still a meaningful accomplishment that universities will recognize, is the result of receiving more A-s than As in one’s academic career.
A grade point average in the range of 3.5, which is a crucial cutoff for many universities, can be obtained from a transcript that contains a mixture of grades ranging from A- to B+. Because admissions staff like to see more As than Bs, having an unweighted grade point average (GPA) that is higher than 3.5 can make a significant difference. A grade point average (GPA) lower than 3.5 tells colleges that you have more Bs than As, and a GPA lower than 3.2 says that you may also have some Cs in the mix, which will raise a red flag for institutions with a very high standard of admissions.
Having said that, universities will undoubtedly look at the number of honors and AP classes you are enrolled in regardless of whether or not your high school utilizes a weighted grade point average. If you are taking a greater number of honors classes, then even if your grade point average is lower than that of a classmate who is only enrolled in normal classes, you will still be the applicant who has a better chance of being accepted. The trick is to strike a balance: enroll in tough classes without letting your academic performance suffer as a result. There is no amount of challenging coursework that can make up for a bad unweighted grade point average.
What is the Difference Between Weighted and Unweighted GPA?
What is the difference between a weighted and unweighted GPA? Since we have already covered the topic of what an unweighted GPA is, the first step in understanding the distinctions between the two is to become familiar with the concept of a weighted GPA.
The term “weighted GPA” refers to your Grade Point Average, which has been modified to take into account the number of exceptionally difficult classes that you have on your schedule. To be more specific, this indicates that a weighted grade point average is scored on a scale that is typically higher than an unweighted grade point average and that more difficult or specifically designated courses, such as honors classes and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, among others, earn you extra points.
For instance, a weighted grade point average (GPA) may be measured on a scale of 6.0, and a student who achieved perfect scores in all of their Advanced Placement (AP) classes during a specific semester or academic year could have a weighted GPA of 6.0 and an unweighted GPA of 4.0. Weighted GPA is similar to unweighted GPA in that it measures your overall academic performance; however, it also takes into consideration and adjusts for the relative course difficulties of your schedule.
It does this by giving additional “weight” (hence the name “weighted GPA”) to courses that are more difficult (or ostensibly more difficult, based on their category or classification) that you take; this encourages students to push themselves academically and rewards them for doing so (challenging oneself academically is something that colleges often value quite a bit in admissions decisions).
Weighted and Unweighted GPA: Key Differences
When examining the differences between weighted and unweighted grade point averages, it is important to be aware of a few important distinctions between the two types of GPA. We will go into some of those variations between weighted and unweighted GPAs in more precise depth, despite the fact that we have already touched on some of those differences between the two.
Scale Measures
When comparing weighted and unweighted grade point averages, one of the most significant factors to take into account is the scale on which they are evaluated. Unweighted GPA is calculated by subtracting the weighted GPA from the total grade point average.
Examining the two GPAs side by side does not provide an accurate representation of the difference between weighted and unweighted GPAs. This is due to the fact that weighted and unweighted grades are typically evaluated using distinct GPA systems.
In general, the majority of unweighted scales have a range that goes from 0.0 to 4.0, with 0.0 representing all Fs and 4.0 representing all As.
On the other hand, the majority of weighted GPAs are calculated based on a scale that ranges from 0.0 to 5.0, with 0.0 representing all Fs and 5.0 indicating all As in Advanced Placement (or, in some circumstances, honors or International Baccalaureate or other similar highly challenging classes) classes.
When comparing unweighted and weighted grade point averages, it is essential to take into account the difference between these two scales. For instance, a 4.0 unweighted grade point average and a 4.0 weighted grade point average are not the same things, as we have shown.
Differences in Calculation
The only distinction between weighted and unweighted grade point averages is the scale on which they are based, but there are other differences as well. GPAs are computed differently depending on whether they are weighted or unweighted.
In particular, unweighted grade point averages do not take into account the apparent difficulty of the courses that you have completed, but weighted grade point averages do so based on classifications such as honors and Advanced Placement.
To put it another way, when it comes to unweighted grade point averages, grades correspond precisely with grade points. When calculating unweighted grade point averages, a perfect score of 4.0 is awarded for an A, a perfect score of 3.0 for a B, and so on. However, this is not the case with weighted grade point averages. When computing weighted GPAs, you also need to take into account the difficulty of the courses. For the purpose of calculating a weighted grade point average, an A in every normal class may result in a score of 4.0, but an A in every AP class could result in a score of 5.0.
Do Colleges Look At Weighted Or Unweighted GPAs?
Do Colleges Look At Weighted Or Unweighted GPAs? You may be asking, now that we’ve discussed the numerous components that contribute to the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA, how the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA affects you as a student and potential college candidate?
After all, one of the most common reasons students compute their own GPAs and think about the difference between weighted and unweighted GPAs is because they want to assess their chances of admission to the colleges and universities that are their top choices.
“Do colleges look at weighted or unweighted GPA?” is one of the most prevalent issues that may come up in a conversation about the difference between weighted and unweighted grade point averages and the function they play in the admissions process for colleges and universities. The response to this query is actually fairly straightforward: universities consider both the weighted and the unweighted versions of your grade point average.
Because colleges worry about both the difficulty of your academic schedule and your performance within it, they give about equal consideration to both your weighted and unweighted grade point averages (GPA). No need to worry about ambiguity related to the scale and colleges knowing what it means if your school’s scale isn’t normal because your school will typically submit an explanation of your grading scale with your high school transcript.
There is generally a substantial correlation between weighted and unweighted GPAs, provided that you are able to successfully manage challenging classes and the rigorous nature of the schedule that you have designed for yourself. If your unweighted grade point average (GPA) is high, this shows that you do well in your classes; however, if your weighted grade point average is high, this indicates that you do well in challenging classes. When considering applicants for admission, colleges place a high weight on each of those characteristics.
If you need help putting the finishing touches on your college applications, at AdmissionSight, we have over 10 years of experience guiding students through the competitive admissions process
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FAQs
What is an Unweighted GPA? ›
An unweighted GPA calculates your average grade on a 4.0 scale (usually) regardless of how easy or difficult a class may be, so an A in, say, 9th grade English counts the same as an A in AP Lang.
Which is better weighted or unweighted GPA? ›Colleges will look at either weighted or unweighted GPAs in your application. They do tend to prefer weighted, because it gives more information about the difficulty of your classes, but don't worry if your school uses an unweighted scale.
What is a 5.0 GPA unweighted? ›The traditional unweighted GPA scale ranges from 0 to 4.0, while the weighted scale spans from 0 to 5.0. Schools that use a weighted scale assign more points to honors and AP classes. For example, students who earn an A in AP Calculus would receive a 5.0 on a weighted scale and only a 4.0 on an unweighted scale.
Is A 4.0 GPA Weighted or Unweighted? ›Unweighted GPAs are reported on a 4.0 scale and consider all classes equal. Weighted GPAs are reported on a 5.0 scale and consider class difficulty when awarding grades. Colleges consider both when reading your application for admission.
How do you figure out your unweighted GPA? ›Once you have the grade point for every course, the unweighted GPA is calculated by adding all of the grade points together, then dividing the sum by the number of courses that were added. This is how averages are calculated, which is why this is called a grade point average.
Do colleges mainly look at weighted or unweighted GPA? ›In other words, for college admissions, you need the highest unweighted GPA and the highest level of rigor (take the most honors and AP classes that you can).
Does Harvard prefer weighted or unweighted GPA? ›Last year, the reported average GPA of an admitted high school student at Harvard was a 4.04 out of 4.0, what we call a “weighted” GPA. However, unweighted GPAs are not very useful, because high schools weight GPAs differently. In truth, you need close to a 4.0 unweighted GPA to get into Harvard.
What GPA is required for Harvard? ›If you don't pass their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration. To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1580 SAT or a 35 ACT. You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher.
What is a 7.0 GPA? ›Your Grade Point Average (GPA) is a number that represents the average of your grades achieved throughout a single degree. UNE calculates GPAs on a 7-point scale, with 7 being the highest grade possible.
How can I get a 7.0 GPA? ›To earn a perfect GPA on the weighted scale, a student must take all Advanced Placement or Dual Enrolled courses and earn an A+ in every class.
Can you get into Harvard with a 4.0 unweighted GPA? ›
A 4.0 GPA (and above) means you have a stronger chance of acceptance. A GPA between 3.75-3.99 GPA means you have a decent chance of success. A GPA between 3.50-3.74 makes Harvard a “reach” school. A GPA between 2.50-3.49 results in an extremely low chance of success.
What is the average GPA in America? ›The average high school GPA in the US is 3.0, which also accounts for roughly 35% of students who don't end up applying for college. However, for college applicants, the average GPA is more likely between 3.5 and 4.0.
What is the highest unweighted GPA? ›The unweighted scale is most common, and the highest possible GPA on this scale is a 4.0. The unweighted scale doesn't take the difficulty of a student's classes into account. Weighted scales are also used at many high schools. Typically, they go up to a 5.0.
Does my unweighted GPA matter? ›A high unweighted GPA indicates an academically successful student, and a high weighted GPA demonstrates they can maintain that level of success when faced with rigorous coursework. Institutions value both of those indicators when they consider students for admission.
What is another name for unweighted GPA? ›Whereas, an Unweighted GPA is referred to as your conventional GPA, which is normally calculated using a 4.0 scale and only takes into account your course grades. The weighted GPA is calculated on a 5.0 scale or higher and the Unweighted GPA is calculated on a scale of 4.0.
Is a 4.2 weighted GPA good? ›A 4.2 indicates that you are earning Bs and B+s in high level classes or As and A+s in mid level classes. This is a very good GPA, and it should give you a strong chance of admission at most colleges. 99.36% of schools have an average GPA below a 4.2. You can apply to colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted.
Is a 3.5 unweighted GPA good? ›A 3.5 unweighted GPA means that you've earned an A- average across all of your classes. You're well above the national average for GPA and should have a solid chance of acceptance at a wide variety of colleges. 76.4% of schools have an average GPA below a 3.5.
Is a 3.8 weighted GPA good? ›A 3.8 GPA stands for a Grade Point Average of 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. It indicates that you've earned a predominantly A average in your courses. A 3.8 GPA is considered to be a very good GPA and is often an indicator of strong academic performance.
What is a good weighted GPA for Ivy League? ›A weighted GPA between 3.9 and 4.0 should put you in good standing at most Ivy League schools, as long as you've taken the most challenging curriculum available to you.