Climbing the GPA Mount Everest - Can You Really Get Over a 4.0?

Been hearing that it's possible to have a GPA over 4.0 and it's blowing my mind. How does that even work? Is this due to AP or Honors class weighting? And if so, how much can these classes boost your GPA? I just want to understand this GPA system a bit better. Appreciate any input!

Absolutely, it's possible to have a GPA over 4.0 due to the way some high schools weight AP, IB, or Honors classes when calculating GPAs.

When your school calculates your GPA, it often does so on a 4.0 scale: A gets you 4 points, B gets you 3 points, and so forth. However, to account for the added difficulty of AP (Advanced Placement), IB (International Baccalaureate) or Honors courses, schools often "weight" these grades by adding points to the scale.The most common system adds a 0.5 point for an Honors class and 1.0 point for an AP or IB class. So an A in an Honors class would count as 4.5 on your GPA, and an A in an AP/IB class would count as a 5.0. So if you're taking several of these types of classes and doing well, your GPA can certainly exceed 4.0.

However, each school may handle this differently; some do not weight grades at all while others might use a different scale—so it would be a good idea to check in with your guidance counselor to understand the specific system your school uses.

It's also worth knowing that while having a GPA above 4.0 sounds impressive, colleges also calculate unweighted GPA (i.e., on the 4.0 scale) alongside their holistic admission process, to ensure that all applicants are evaluated fairly, regardless of the number of weighted classes at their high school. They look for students challenging themselves in their course selections, even if this means the student has slightly lower scores because of the more difficult classes. Students that push for more advanced coursework are seen as proactive and ready for challenging college classes. This gives context to your GPA, irrespective of it being above or below 4.0.