What's the deal with a 4.0+ GPA?

Just out of curiosity, how does a high schooler get a GPA higher than a 4.0? I mean, I know it’s difficult and involves taking lots of honors or AP classes, but I'm still a bit confused on how the math works out. Could someone clarify how this happens?

Absolutely, happy to clarify this for you! This idea of having a GPA higher than 4.0 comes from the weight that's given to the grades in certain challenging courses, referred to as "weighted GPA."

In many high schools, grades in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Honors, or dual enrollment courses are "weighted" by counting more towards the GPA calculation.

Let's consider a typical unweighted GPA system first. In this system, an A in a course is usually equivalent to a 4.0, a B is a 3.0, a C is a 2.0, and so on. In this scenario, the maximum GPA you can earn is a 4.0, which means you've gotten straight A's in all your classes.

Now, bringing in weighted GPAs: if you're in a school that provides additional weight for more rigorous courses, an A in an AP, IB, Honors or dual enrollment course might be worth 5.0 instead of 4.0. A B might be worth 4.0 instead of 3.0. This "extra credit" taken into account during GPA calculations allows students to have a GPA that exceeds 4.0.

For instance, if a student gets all As in AP classes in a school that uses a 5.0 scale for these courses, they would have a weighted GPA of 5.0. Be aware that different schools may use different scales, and the values given here are just examples.

However, do remember that colleges will often "unweight" GPAs during their review process, meaning they'll convert them back to a 4.0 scale to make comparisons easier. They're aware of the different scales and weighting systems used by various high schools, so they level the playing field in this way.

Hopefully, that clears up the concept for you! Don't hesitate to ask if you have further questions.