Your GPA is one of the essential factors in your academic career. It is a major determinant of your admission into college and graduate schools, and can also affect your chances of getting scholarships and financial aid. Your future employer may also look at your transcripts, whether they check for an unweighted or weighted GPA.
But what is the fundamental distinction between unweighted and weighted GPA? Let us examine the difference between the two.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
GPA is the standardized system used for calculating all courses taken in high school or college by adding all grades together and mostly calculated on a 0.0 to 4.0 scale. GPA is the overall estimated letter grade of a student’s entire academic coursework completed.
The unweighted GPA is the most common type of GPA used by high schools and colleges. However, some schools use different systems.
Difference between Unweighted vs. Weighted GPA
When calculating your high school or college GPA, it’s essential to understand the difference.
Here are the basic differences between unweighted and weighted GPAs.
What is an Unweighted GPA?
An unweighted GPA is your average course grade regardless of how difficult or easy the class was. It is on a 4.0 scale, meaning an A in an AP class is worth the same as an A in a regular class, regardless of the course’s difficulty level.
For example, a student who has earned an A in a regular English class and an A in an AP Literature class would have the same unweighted GPA (4.0) as a student who earned an A in regular English and an A in regular math.
What is a Weighted GPA?
Weighted GPAs are also calculated on a 4.0 scale, but range higher. It means that if you earn all A’s in AP or Honors classes, your GPA will be higher than someone with all A’s in regular classes.
However, don’t forget that grades aren’t everything – colleges also look at the difficulty of your course load, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and essays when making admissions decisions. So, while having a good GPA is crucial, it is not the be-all and end-all of your college application.
To review:
An unweighted GPA is determined by simply averaging all of your letter grades together, regardless of the level or difficulty of the class. For example, a student who has earned an A in a regular English class and an A in an AP Literature class would have the same unweighted GPA (4.0) as a student who earned an A in regular English and a B in regular math. On the other hand, a weighted GPA takes into account the difficulty of each class, assigning extra points for honors or advanced placement (AP) classes.
In essence, unweighted GPAs provide a general overview of academic performance, while weighted GPAs offer a more detailed picture of a student’s strengths and challenges in their coursework.
Ultimately, both GPAs can be helpful when applying for colleges or scholarships. It’s important to note that unweighted GPAs are often used as baseline measures, with weighted GPAs considered supplementary information.
Which should you aim for when taking classes in high school?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question – it ultimately depends on the colleges you’re interested in and your academic strengths and weaknesses.
However, as a general rule of thumb, you should aim to take mostly honors or AP classes if you’re a strong student and most regular classes if you’re struggling to maintain a high GPA.
What if my school doesn’t calculate weighted GPAs?
If your school does not calculate weighted GPAs, you can still provide this information on your college applications.
Many colleges will have a section on their applications where you can input your weighted GPA, and some may even provide a conversion chart to convert your unweighted GPA to a 4.0 scale.
If your school does not calculate weighted GPAs and you’re unsure how to calculate yours, you can always contact your guidance counselor or an academic advisor for help. You may also want to check out this GPA calculator to keep track of your GPA.
How to increase your weighted GPA?
Here are some simple yet powerful strategies that can help you improve and raise your weighted GPA.
- You can retake any classes if you get a C or below. It will help increase your weighted GPA and show colleges that you’re committed to doing well in your coursework.
- You can also take extra classes outside of school, either online or at a local community college. These classes will typically be less challenging than AP or honors, but they will still help raise your weighted GPA.
- You can try to get involved in more extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or leadership opportunities. These activities will demonstrate to colleges that you’re well-rounded and driven, even if your GPA isn’t as high as you’d like it to be.
Ultimately, the best way to raise your weighted GPA is to focus on getting good grades in challenging classes. If you can do this, your weighted GPA will naturally go up.
Different strokes for different folks – Get the GPA that works best for you!
Unweighted and weighted GPAs are necessary measures of academic performance, but they offer different insights into a student’s strengths and challenges. Ultimately, which one you should aim for depends on the colleges you’re interested in and your academic situation.
If you’re struggling to maintain a high GPA, it may be more advantageous to focus on mainly taking regular classes. On the other hand, if you’re a strong student, you may consider mainly taking honors or AP classes to boost your weighted GPA.
Schedule a free consultation today to develop a solid college application, empowering you to reach your full potential!
Julia de Raadt
Madeleine Karydes