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Duke University
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Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

Can someone explain GPA weighting?

I've been hearing about weighted and unweighted GPAs, but I'm not really sure what it all means. Could someone provide a brief explanation on how GPA weighting works and why it's important?

11 months ago

Weighted and unweighted GPAs are two methods of calculating a student's grade point average, which is an important factor in college admissions. Here's a brief explanation of each:

Unweighted GPA:

This measures a student's academic performance based solely on their grades, using a 4.0 scale. In this scale, an A (90-100%) equates to a 4.0, a B (80-89%) is a 3.0, a C (70-79%) is a 2.0, and so on. Unweighted GPAs do not differentiate between the rigor of courses taken, treating all courses as equal regardless of their difficulty.

Weighted GPA:

This calculation takes into account the level of difficulty of the courses a student takes, giving extra weight to Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Honors, or other advanced classes. This method usually uses a 5.0 or 6.0 scale, depending on the school system. For example, an A in an AP class could be worth 5.0 points, while an A in a regular class remains at 4.0 points. The weighted GPA is designed to recognize the extra effort and challenge that comes with taking more rigorous coursework.

The importance of GPA weighting lies in its use by colleges during the admissions process. A higher weighted GPA may demonstrate a student's ability to handle challenging coursework, which can be an advantage when applying to competitive schools. However, colleges also consider other factors, such as course rigor, extracurricular activities, essays, and standardized test scores. It is worth noting that colleges may recalculate your GPA based on their own weighting systems when evaluating your application. So taking rigorous courses not only helps to boost your weighted GPA but also demonstrates your willingness to challenge yourself academically and prepare for college-level work.

11 months ago

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