USC GPA Calculation

Hi everyone! I'm just a bit confused about how USC calculates its GPA requirements - do any of you have experience with this or know the right process? Any help would be amazing!

USC, like many universities, uses a weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale to evaluate an applicant's academic performance. USC specifically looks at a student's GPA in their core, college-preparatory classes, which usually include English, math, science, social studies, and foreign languages. This focus on core classes means that other courses, such as PE or fine arts, will not be included in the GPA calculation.

To calculate your weighted GPA, USC assigns a 0.5 weight to Honors, Advanced, and college-preparatory electives, such as AVID or Academic Decathlon, and 1.0 weight to AP, IB, and dual enrollment college courses. The weighting is capped at eight semesters, so if you've taken more than eight semesters of weighted courses, only the first eight will count towards your GPA calculation.

Here's a step-by-step process to calculate your weighted GPA for USC:

1. Identify your grades in all college-preparatory core courses.

2. Convert each grade to a point value: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0.

3. If a class is weighted, add the extra points: Honors/Advanced courses get an extra 0.5 points, whereas AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses get an extra 1.0 point.

4. Sum the point values for all classes and divide by the total number of courses.

Keep in mind that USC uses a holistic approach when evaluating applications, meaning other factors, such as extracurriculars, essays, test scores, and more will also play a significant role in the admissions process. With that said, a strong GPA is an essential part of a competitive application for USC. Good luck!