Do colleges focus on weighted or unweighted GPA?

Hey everyone, I was wondering if colleges typically look at weighted or unweighted GPAs during the admissions process. My school reports both, but I'm not sure which one holds more weight when it comes to college admissions. Thanks in advance!

Hi! When it comes to college admissions, both weighted and unweighted GPAs play a role, but they serve different purposes in the evaluation process. Generally, admissions officers will consider both types of GPAs, but they'll also look at the context of your high school curriculum and the rigor of the courses you've taken.

Weighted GPAs take into account the difficulty of the classes you've taken, like honors, AP, or IB courses. This can give you a slight advantage by showing your academic challenge and your ability to excel in more demanding courses. Many colleges value seeing that you've taken a rigorous course load, and the weighted GPA captures that.

On the other hand, the unweighted GPA represents an equal assessment of your grades across all classes, regardless of course difficulty. It provides a more standardized measure for colleges to compare applicants from various schools. Since grading scales and course weights can differ from school to school, admissions officers often recalculate your GPA based on their own system, making it easier to compare applicants fairly.

So, colleges will look at both your weighted and unweighted GPAs, as well as the rigor of your courses, to gain a comprehensive understanding of your academic performance. To strengthen your application, aim for a strong unweighted GPA while also challenging yourself with advanced courses whenever possible. Good luck with your college applications!