Does your GPA restart when you transfer colleges?

I'm seriously considering transferring to a different college after my freshman year. Will my GPA from my current school reset completely, or will it carry over and continue at my new school?

When you transfer to a different college, your GPA usually does not carry over. This happens because each institution has its own grading scale, course rigor, and credit system. Therefore, a 3.5 GPA at one college might not represent the same level of academic merit as a 3.5 GPA at another.

When you transfer, you essentially start afresh with your GPA. Your grades for the courses taken at your previous college will not factor into your GPA at your new college. However, be aware that even though your GPA does not transfer, your academic performance at your previous college is still relevant. For instance, if you decide to apply to graduate school, they will look at transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended.

While it may seem like an opportunity to have a clean slate, it's also a challenge to maintain or even raise your GPA. The classes at the new institution might be harder or graded more stringently, and the transition itself can also be an adjustment.

Lastly, although the GPA doesn't carry over, the credits from the classes you've passed generally do (assuming the courses are similar enough), which is why you can change schools without starting over entirely. However, each school has different policies about what transfer credits they accept, so you should check with the specific schools for accurate information.