<p>Interesting discussion…it’s too bad there’s no way to really compare schools. What I mean by that is different schools weigh classes differently. For example kid #1 earns an A in a HS that weights AP on a 5 point scale (out of 4) earns a 25% bump. My D’s HS only gives a 15% bump. Some earn no bump at all.</p>
<p>But there’s more. Kid #1’s A could have been for a grade of 91 (out of 100) while DD’s could have been for a 100. So if kid #1 was in our HS she’d earn 104.65 points towards overall GPA while kid #2 would earn 115; kid #1’s grade should be more than 10% lower than kid #2 but it will be seen as being 10% higher. </p>
<p>Then there’s Mike’s 7 point (or is it 6 point) scale…</p>
<p>Then there’s the obvious potential difference in rigor, teacher competency and competitiveness…</p>
<p>If I were a Uni Pres I’d be tempted to discard GPA altogether and use SAT/ACT scores only. After all they are supposed to be standardized tests (but we all know that they aren’t….)</p>
<p>wait … the standardized test aren’t standardized either!!!</p>
<p>gaaaaaaaaahhhh!!</p>
<p>i hadn’t thought about what the different scales mean! so actually our 6 point scale is actually <strong>less</strong> generous than a school with a weighted 4.0 scale that gives a 5.0 for an A.</p>
<p>but at first glance it seems more “out there.”</p>
<p>there is no way to account for class rigor and all that stuff. i thought that was why they used a combo of GPA and SAT/ACT to see if the school was indeed a reasonably difficult/standard school and not a school where EVERYONE is getting As.</p>
<p>so when all the kids from a school have near 4.0s but most are not scoring high on standardized tests … maybe the school is not so good or passes out As like candy.</p>
<p>: /</p>
<p>really seems silly to me that there are so many different ways to come up with a high school GPA.</p>
<p>I know definitely that U of AL takes the weighted GPA for scholarship purposes. My son’s gpa weighted was high-ish (HS gave you a 5.0 for honors “A” grade, etc.). His UW gpa, not so much. </p>
<p>He got scholarship $ based on the weighted gpa as long as it is <em>on the transcript.</em> They’ll take the highest listed.</p>
<p>UA does NOT refigure HS GPA…it takes whatever your HS puts as the highest score…including weighted. UA doesn’t even remove religion or PE grades from the HS GPA.</p>
<p>So…if your child’s transcript says…4.4 weighted GPA and 3.4 unweighted GPA…then UA is going to take that 4.4 weighted GPA to figure scholarship award (along with ACT or SAT). And, UA will not take out electives, PE, religion, etc, and refigure GPA…UA takes whatever is highest on the transcript.</p>
<p>osdad…very funny! (BTW…your child’s GPA is 100.60??)</p>
<p>mike…very good GPA…is your child going to get the Presidential scholarship? BTW…did UA ask that your HS refigure the GPA? Or did you ask the HS because the online UA app asks for GPA on 4.0 scale?</p>
<p>next, i was posting an update. since this is not your first post to this thread, i would have assumed that you had read the thread … but just in case you didn’t, here is a recap.</p>
<p>DD sent her app. and transcript. UA got the transcript and their heads exploded because her GPA is based on a 6 point scale. so they DID recalculate her gpa (see title of thread)and they came up with a 3.3. from what i understand thay got a 3.3 because they used plusses and minuses in calculating GPA and it rendered a lower gpa. i have not checked it myself though. </p>
<p>anyway her admissions counselor told me that they posted a 3.3 for her GPA. she told me to have the school refigure the GPA on a 4 point scale. so, based on simple math my daughters gpa was refigured thusly:</p>
<p>6.2/6.0 = 1.0333
then multiply that by 4.0 to get
4.0*1.0333 = 4.13</p>
<p>so the school refigured, noted the refigured GPA on the transcript and sent a cover letter along explaining the situation.</p>
<p>and voila! they have reposted a new GPA to her app file 4.13! : )</p>
<p>momscollegekids - my DD has a 29 on the ACT and is TRYING to raise it, but, so far, unsuccessfully! : ( so while we would LOVE the presidential scholarship, i am afraid that the best she may get is UA scholar. : (</p>
<p>Has your DD taken the SAT? UA will take the November score for SAT. And, I think UA only uses Math and Critical Reading to figure scholarships. So, if those areas are her “strong points,” then she might do better with the SAT for scholarship $$. Some kids do their worst on the Science Reasoning on the ACT, so avoiding that thru the SAT can be a benefit.</p>
<p>But…if she only wants to take the ACT…what area is her weakest area on the ACT? </p>
<p>Even if it’s not writing, writing is usually the easier area to raise a score. </p>
<p>If math is her weakest area, some kids are able to increase their math scores by going thru practice books and only doing the problems that are difficult, or are “set up” in an unfamilar way. By doing those problems, less time is wasted during “test time” trying to figure out what the question is asking.</p>
<p>And, for some odd reason, even the strong Calculus kids sometimes miss the questions that are considered to be “geometry” in nature - even if geometry was never a problem as a class. Odd! LOL</p>
<p>Best wishes for you DD!</p>
<p>One other thought…what major is she putting on her application? Some departments are also giving scholarships.</p>
<p>she took the sat once. then studied up on it to take it again, then she didn’t have her id the day of the test, so she hasn’t taken it again. she is taking that in nov. i think.</p>
<p>she decided to stick with the act because her act score was comparable to an sat score about 100 points higher than she got, if that makes sense. so we though the act as better for her to work on.</p>
<p>science is her worst section, but it is not horrendous. she is pretty good at english and math and not as good at reading and science.</p>
<p>you would think it would be easier to raise scores in the ones you are good at, but for her, that hasn’t been the case. she raised her reading score 6 points! pretty good! then the other sections will go down a couple points. it would be nice to get it all together on the same day!!!</p>
<p>she is not sure of a major yet. do you know which departments are giving scholarships?? i know engineering does, but i am not sure that is a good fit for her. idk.</p>
<p>Mike, I was joking - notice the smiley face. </p>
<p>Mom2collegekids: yes DD’s GPA is 100.6. Her HS uses a weighted system where they take the actual numerical score earned in the class (100, 95, 87, 76, whatever) and apply one of four multipliers: 1 = regular, 1.05 = college prep, 1.1 = honors, 1.15 = AP. So if DD earns a 95 in an AP its worth 109.25 towards her total. Divide the total by her credits = 100.6.</p>
<p>As we discussed above, it seems more fair than lumping all A’s together in a 4 or 5 or 6 point system. In those systems the kid who doesn’t miss a single question on any test gets the same gpa as the kid who misses 9% on every test. (Obviously its never that simple but you get the point.) But it is just one method that colleges see and have to understand; no wonder they say they just use what the HS reports.</p>
<p>Scholarships are awarded at the University level, at the college level, and at the level of the academic department or program level. While there are different sources of scholarships, there is one application and one deadline, December 1. </p>
<p>Off hand, I know that nursing, math, engineering, and music departments give scholarships.</p>
<p>Go to the department website of the major your DD is interested. Usually that department website will mention its scholarships. If you can’t find such scholarships, I would email the department and ask if they offer any scholarships for incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>Ahh…mental health days…I think my kids took a few senior year…senioritis can be too much!</p>
<p>What about becoming a pharmacist? no real ick factor there (that’s why DS2’s girlfriend is majoring in pre-pharm. ) If you’re pre-pharm, I think you have a choice as to what your major will be, but you just have to make sure you include the “pre-pharm” list (kind of like they do with pre-med and pre-PT - there isn’t a “set major,” but there are recommended courses to better chances of acceptance to PT/pharm/med school.</p>
<p>Have you looked to see if Bio or chem departments have scholarships? If so, you might apply as a bio or chem major.</p>
<p>BTW…osdad’s joke…he was taking his child’s 100 point scale GPA and subtracting your DD’s newly adjusted 4.0 scale GPA and jokingly claiming that now his kid’s GPA is 96 points higher than your D’s… LOL</p>