USC GPA Calculator: How does it work?

Hey everyone, I'm a little stressed about my GPA for USC. I've heard they have a specific GPA calculator? Does anyone know if this exists and how does it work exactly?

Sure, I can shed some light on this topic!

The University of Southern California, like many colleges, uses a weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale to assess the academic skills of its potential students. A "GPA calculator" is essentially a tool to help calculate your GPA in the way that USC will likely be evaluating it.

The way it works is that it takes grades earned in A-G courses you’ve taken from the summer before 10th grade through the summer before 12th grade, then calculates your GPA by semester. The UC/CSU GPA is calculated using your grades in your a-g courses completed after 9th grade: generally, As in AP, IB, or College classes count as a 5.0, As in honors classes counts as a 4.5, As in regular classes is a 4.0, and so forth. Remember that the weight cap is a maximum of 8 semesters of honors points.

These GPA calculators typically allow you to input your grades on a class-by-class basis and indicate whether the class was regular, honors, or AP-level. Then, they'll calculate your GPA according to the weighting system. There are many GPA calculators available online that can provide estimated GPAs which are useful for getting a rough idea of where you stand.

Just to clarify some possible confusion: USC does not have an 'official' GPA calculator on their website, but you can use other GPA calculators as a reference for estimation as long as they calculate GPA based on a 4.0 scale.

Remember this is just a tool to help you understand your academic standing and potential competitiveness. The admissions office at USC will be looking at far more than just your GPA - think essays, extracurriculars, recommendation letters, etc. in addition to your academic track record.