How Can I Calculate My GPA for the University of Wisconsin?

Hi, guys! I'm a HS junior looking to apply to the University of Wisconsin. I've heard they have their own GPA calculation method, or something? Could someone explain how it works or where to find a good calculator tool for it?

Hello! The University of Wisconsin-Madison, like many universities, does have its own method for recalculating GPAs for the sake of consistency in the admissions process. They recalculate your GPA based only on your high school grades in academic subjects, which include English, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign languages. Non-academic classes such as physical education or art are not considered in their recalculation.

It's important to note that while A's, B's, C's, and D's are all counted normally (respectively as 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0), an F in any course receives a GPA value of negative 2.0. This means that failing a course will lower your recalculated GPA quite a bit more than it would in traditional GPA calculations.

For AP and IB courses, an extra one point is added. So an A in an AP or IB class would count as a 5.0, a B as a 4.0, and so on. When considering the cumulative GPA, UW-Madison uses a weighted GPA scale to appreciate the rigor of these classes.

UW-Madison doesn't provide an official online calculator, but you can approximate your recalculated GPA using the method I described. Add up the total point values for your academic classes (adjusting for AP/IB and F grades) and then divide by the number of academic classes you've taken. It can be a labor-intensive process if you're doing it manually.

However, it's important to remember that while GPA is an essential component of the application, the UW-Madison admissions process takes into account other things like rank in class, strength and quality of the curriculum, trend in grades, and other factors. Best of luck with your application!