Hi! I'm just curious, do most colleges stick to the basic A, B, C grading system or do they use plus and minus grades too? Wondering how this might affect my GPA in the future. Thanks a lot!
Yes, many colleges in the U.S. use the plus/minus grading system, but it's not a universal standard. Some institutions do stick to the straight letter grading system (A, B, C, D, F), while others may incorporate the plus/minus variations (A-, B+, B-, etc.), and some even use a completely different scale altogether, like a numerical or a pass/fail system.
In the plus/minus system, the exact impact on your GPA would depend on how your college calculates it. For instance, an "A-" could be a 3.7, a "B+" perhaps a 3.3, and a "B-" maybe a 2.7, etc. It's important to bear in mind that this breakdown can differ between institutions as it's normally determined by the specific grading policies of each college.
In terms of how this might affect your future GPA, holding other factors equal, you could see a slight drop if you receive more minuses than pluses. Conversely, if you receive mostly pluses, you may find that your GPA is a bit higher than it would be under a straight letter grade system. Once you enroll, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the specific grading policies of your institution to better understand your GPA calculation.
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