<p>Does anyone know the average high school GPA of incoming students at Northwestern? Neither collegeboard nor Usnews has the average GPA. I'm guessing it's probably pretty high, considering how they list academic record as very important.
btw, just a quick general question. Why do some colleges not make public the average GPA? Is it because it's usually so high that they don't want to scare away the students who are thinking of applying?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I don't know what the average gpa is, but I think they don't publish it because acceptances are based on a whole multitude of factors, and there's really no point in knowing the average gpa because it's not the only thing required to get you in. e.g. an applicant with a 4.0 gpa and horrible essays probably won't get in, but someone with a 2.0 and who stands out with powerful ec's, essays, recs, sat scores, etc. will probably get in. am i making any sense..?</p>
<p>I see...thanks combatbaby!</p>
<p>I think one reason many school don't publish average gpa is because they can vary so much from hs to hs. The average grade for a top student at any hs can range from a 92 to over 100 I think. A better estimate is where you stand in your class. NU does publish how many students are acceptenced and what thier class ranks where. I think you can find it online somewhere.</p>
<p>I think it is probably because every school is so different and calculates GPAs differently. Also, the level of courses at every school is so different. Adcoms look at you in the context of your own school and publishing an average GPA wouldn't really accurately show what they are looking for. Some schools are on a 4.0 scale...others 5.0 or something different. Some schools have the actual percentage as your grade rather than a GPA. Some schools weight a lot of classes while some don't weight at all or only weight APs. Every place is very different.</p>
<p>Also I have to disagree about the student with a 2.0 probably getting in. While powerful ECs, essays, recs, SATs, etc can make up a bit for a lower GPA, having a 2.0 and a high SAT and really good SATs would make you look like you're slacking off. Basically to get into any top school you have to be fairly solid all around. Sure, you don't need the 4.0 to get in, but a 2.0 is a C, which is average. Average at a local school that serves a very small percentage of all the high schoolers in the nation is not enough to cut it. Unless you have very special circumstances as to why your GPA is that low, I do not think a 2.0 will get you into a top university in the country.</p>
<p>The did put the average rank and it's 94th percentile for last year.</p>