I'm a bit confused about how the unweighted GPA scale differs from the weighted one. Can someone explain the basic differences and how colleges view unweighted GPAs in the admissions process?
An unweighted GPA, as opposed to a weighted GPA, doesn't take into account the rigor of the courses. It only considers your actual grades. On this scale, an A, regardless of whether it's in an AP course or a regular class, equals 4.0.
Here's a general breakdown:
- A or 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
In comparison, the weighted GPA does take into account the level of difficulty of a class. That means if you take higher-level, more rigorous classes (like honors, AP, or IB), an A in those classes might equal something higher than 4.0, like 5.0 or 6.0 depending on how your school system weighs it.
Now, about the college admissions process: Colleges will look at both your unweighted and weighted GPAs, but what they prioritize can vary. Some colleges prefer to use the unweighted GPA because it provides a level basis for comparison among all applicants. In other cases, colleges might recalculate your GPA based on their own scale. Regardless, they do take into account the rigor of your courses, so just high grades in easy classes won't impress them as much as good grades in challenging ones. But it's best to aim for a balance: challenging yourself but still maintaining high grades.
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