Hello,
I have a 3.75 Unweighted GPA (due to failure from Freshman year, rest of years all 4.0), but I would like to improve that as much as possible to be competitive for the Ivy League.
I have attained a 36 on the ACT
I’m wondering, how much do online courses help the GPA? Does it help?
Thanks for any help or clarifications!
Don’t worry about that old bad grade. A 3.75 UW GPA and 36 on the ACT leave you with excellent options. If there was an unusual or interesting reason for that one bad grade, it might work as an essay topic or be worth discussing in “other information”. If not, put it behind you and move on.
You need to ask at your high school whether online classes are recorded on your transcript and included in your GPA. If there is a class you are dying to take that isn’t offered at your school, then perhaps it is worth it to you to squeeze it in. However, before you tie up all your free time in that class, do the calculations. If you would get an A that is recorded, how much would that change your GPA? What would happen to your GPA if you got less than an A?
Also, if the online course is not weighted, the additional credit(s) can dilute your overall GPA, even if you earn an A in the class.