Hey all! I'm really interested in University of Alabama, but I'm having trouble understanding their GPA scale. Can someone explain how it works?
The University of Alabama, like many American universities, uses a 4.0 GPA scale. In this scale, an A (90-100%) equals 4.0 points, a B (80-89%) equals 3.0 points, a C (70-79%) equals 2.0 points, a D (60-69%) equals 1.0 point, and an F (below 60%) equals 0 points. If you have a mix of A's, B's, C's, and so forth, you calculate your overall GPA by taking the average of these points.
For example, if you take 5 courses and earn three A's (4.0 points each) and two B's (3.0 points each), your GPA will be [(34.0)+(23.0)] ÷ 5 = 3.6.
Sometimes, students ask whether Alabama uses a weighted GPA scale, which gives extra weight to AP, honors, and IB classes. Alabama does consider the rigor of your high school curriculum during the admissions process, but they convert every GPA to a 4.0 scale for consistency. This means that if your school uses a different scale, your GPA will be recalculated based on the grades on your transcript and the 4.0 scale.
Last but not least, keep in mind that GPA is important, but it's only one part of your application. Extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and test scores (if you choose to submit them) are also significant.
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