Most of the students who are looking for admission and acceptance into their dream college face the challenges of fulfilling the GPA requirements. This term is more like an introductory term for the novices, which is unknown to students. Thus, getting a deep understanding of weighted vs unweighted GPA is necessary for students.
So, why wait? Let’s hop on to understanding the meaning of GPA, the difference between Unweighted vs weighted gpa, and deciding on which GPA to target for future success.
Understanding a GPA
A GPA is nothing but the calculation of a student’s grade point average that is used for assessing and tracking academic achievements and performance. It is calculated by adding all the grades and then dividing the total by the credit scores.
For example, a student gets an A in a subject that has 4 credit hours and a B in a subject that has 3 credit hours. An “A” in 4 credit hours total (4×4) is 16 grade points, and a B in 3 credit hours (3×3) totals 9 grade points.
| GPA = Total Grade Points / Total Credit Hours |
GPA = 16 + 9 / 7 = 25/7 = 3.57
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What are the Different Types of GPAs?
Based on the primary categorization of the grade point average (GPA), there are only 2 types of GPA: weighted GPA and unweighted GPA. Let’s see what the characteristics of these GPAs are and how they are different from each other.
What is a Weighted GPA?
A weighted GPA is a grade point average that takes the difficulty of the course into account. This assigns additional grade points to the students who chose advanced courses. It makes the course load easy to handle for students and adds more grade points to the standard GPA scale.
For instance, generally, A is worth 4 points and B is worth 3 points, but the same will be worth 5 and 4, respectively. It shows that the weighted GPA of a student can be higher than an unweighted GPA to quantify the efforts made.
What is an Unweighted GPA?
The unweighted GPA is a standardized evaluation system that values all courses equally. It doesn’t provide any advantage to the students with difficult courses and scores the courses solely on a 4.0 scale. The reason an unweighted GPA is so famous is its simplicity. You don’t need to repeatedly check the grade point valuation of the different courses, as all are worth the same.
However, there is always one topic of concern: that an unweighted GPA doesn’t accurately assess the potential of students. It may make students feel that their efforts are not accurately valued and graded.
Now, what should you go with? Check the complete insight of Weighted gpa vs unweighted gpa mentioned in the next section.
Weighted vs Unweighted GPA: What to Consider Before Choosing?
After understanding the true meaning and depth of both weighted and unweighted, it’s time to compare them and learn what you should target ahead.
College Acceptance
When it comes to choosing the college and university of your choice, it’s important to know which GPA type and scale are being valued. Both of these have different acceptance rates in the college, as different colleges have their own admission requirements. Some colleges focus on weighted GPAs to boost students opting for advanced courses, while others concentrate on a neutral perspective and emphasize unweighted GPAs.
Requirement for Scholarship
The difference between weighted and unweighted GPAs doesn’t end here. These are also considered deciding factors for scholarship opportunities. Scholarship organizations opt for different criteria. Some believe from a neutral perspective and grant equal opportunities to different students, while others adhere to a weighted GPA to give a boost to students with difficult course choices.
The sole reason for considering a weighted GPA is a rise in the ability to handle difficult and complex courses, which depicts a successful future.
Course Levels
While different courses require different levels of students’ attention, the valuation of each one at the same level is not equitable. Thus, some subjects are valued as per the weighted and some with an unweighted GPA system. Therefore, students should take advantage of the weighted GPA for a variety of courses.
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Choosing the Right GPA
The question “Which type of GPA is right for you?” is a bothersome topic for all students. They always remain in constant confusion about whether to go for a weighted or unweighted GPA, but the solution lies in the personal goals of the students. Students need to first analyze and assess what they want and should make a decision accordingly. Here are some suggestions to help you decide which suits you.
- Understand your academic strengths and aim to decide on choosing the right GPA type.
- Reach out to your teachers, counselors, and academic advisors to seek help and get insights into future results.
- Set up meetings with your seniors who have already made decisions to get a broader perspective.
What are Good weighted vs unweighted gpa?
Once you have decided which GPA is a good choice for you, new questions like “What is a good GPA?” and “What is the highest GPA?” may arise in your mind. The answer to this depends on the variances and scales of the GPAs. Generally, a GPA of 4.9 or above is considered a good weighted GPA on a scale of 5.0, whereas a 3.9 or higher unweighted GPA is considered a strong indicator of academic achievement.
Remember that GPAs can be complex to understand. Even a good margin GPA can also be insufficient to get you accepted into well-renowned top colleges. Therefore, always consult with academic advisors and counselors to make better and more viable choices.
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How to Improve Weighted and Unweighted GPAs?
Although weighted and unweighted GPAs are different, the following are the strategies that can help you improve your grades.
- Choose Your Courses Correctly: Pick courses like AP, IB, or honors classes to increase the chances of maximizing your weighted GPA, whereas the unweighted GPA can be improved by avoiding excessive efforts on difficult courses that can negatively impact the grades of other courses.
- Take Help from Teachers: Hesitation doesn’t make any changes. Reach out to your seniors and ask for suggestions for improvement in your grades. Get valuable support from your teachers by developing positive relations.
- Develop Strong Study Habits: Make study plans and stick to those with full potential. This includes studying with a proper routine, reviewing the learnings, and attempting tests regularly.
- Effectively Manage Your Time: Understand the requirements of different courses and designate your study time accordingly. Divide the study time for each course and completely delve into those subjects.
- Focus on Core Courses: Make sure to focus more on your core courses, as these courses have a significant impact on your grades and future. Thus, make extra efforts to score good grades on your core courses.
- Don’t Neglect Electives: In the race to get complete control of improving your GPAs, make sure to not neglect the elective courses, as they also bring an inclination to the overall grades.
Bottom Line
Deciding on whether to target a weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA is a challenging decision that requires a complete self-assessment and analysis of the student’s future goal. Therefore, making the right decisions, like weighted vs unweighted GPA, is important for academic success.
Remember that different colleges have different assessment systems, so make sure you have your grades as per the requirements of the college.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Ans: The most common scale used for GPA evaluation is 0 to 4.0, where 0 is the lowest and 4.0 is the highest.
Ans: On a 0 to 4.0 scale, 3.0 is considered a good GPA. Any more than that is considered an outstanding GPA.
Ans: GPA is computed when the credit points are multiplied by the credit hours, and the solution is divided by the total credit hours. It will give you the average grade points, also known as the GPA.
Ans: Divide your percentage by 4, and it will give you the GPA score on a 0 to 4.0 scale.
Ans: Follow these steps to raise your unweighted GPA:
- Avoid classes that you don’t need.
- Submit assignments on time.
- Meet and communicate with tutors and instructors.
- Go through the past study papers.
- Study with peers who have a high GPA.
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