<p>I am wondering how schools use GPA to award merit scholarships. I see that many schools use a sort of sliding scale of gpa and sat/act score. On these scales, the test scores all seem very low compared to the GPA's. How can gpa be used when there is so much variance between schools? For example: at my son's public high school which he attended as a freshman, the GPA's are very high. Everything is weighted (even regular college prep courses). Only extracurriculars and remedial courses are unweighted. Many students with 3.5+GPA's with a thin curriculum and correspondingly low-ish SAT scores. At the private school which my son attends, nothing is weighted and grades are deflated. (No one has even received a 4.0 in years). My son has a 3.27 GPA and a 2130 SAT/30 ACT score. And this is the norm at his school. So, the question is, do colleges look at the GPA's in context of your school and curriculum or are those hard and fast numbers?</p>
<p>*At the private school which my son attends, nothing is weighted and grades are deflated. (No one has even received a 4.0 in years). My son has a 3.27 GPA and a 2130 SAT/30 ACT score. And this is the norm at his school. So, the question is, do colleges look at the GPA’s in context of your school and curriculum or are those hard and fast numbers? *</p>
<p>Hmmm…many schools will require a 3.5 or 3.75 for merit consideration. Some won’t budge on this.</p>
<p>I would do this…I would go to my kid’s high school and ask if they will write a weighted GPA on his transcript. If they refuse, go to the principal/headmaster and explain how using an unweighted GPA hurts kids chances for merit aid consideration.</p>
<p>This is how merit aid often works…</p>
<p>there is a huge pool of kids with high GPAs</p>
<p>there is a smaller pool of kids with high test scores.</p>
<p>There is an EVEN smaller pool of kids who have BOTH high test scores and GPAs…these are the kids who often get the big merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Just wanted to add…</p>
<p>last year a mom I know had this same issue. She and her H went to the headmaster with a transcript and had already figured out what the weighted GPA would be. It took a lot of convincing and showing the financial repercussions of not cooperating, and the headmaster finally agreed to have the GC handwrite a weighted GPA onto the transcript. That student now has a full tuition scholarship the school that he’ll be attending next fall.</p>
<p>I figured out his GPA using the UC system and it comes to 3.7. If I use our high school’'s weighting system, it is over 5 (yes, most kids at his public school would evidently qualify for a merit scholarship). I wonder though if colleges are familiar with the well-known prep schools. At my son’s school, the GC’s say that gpa’s are generally give a 0.5 “boost” by colleges. Thanks for your advice; I will ask son’s GC abut this.</p>
<p>I feel better…I just found information specifically for the school I was wondering about. The majority of schools my son is applying to are private selective LAC’s and provide only need-based aid; he is applying to one public university which provids Presidential Scholarships. Their website states that scholarship selection is based on rigor of curriculum, rigor of institution, academic potential, recommendations, essays, extracurricular activities and superior SAT scores. He has A’s and B’s with a strong curriculum from a rigorous institution and we know his recommendations, ecs and essays are all very strong. So…maybe he will get some money. I hope!</p>
<p>At my son’s school, the GC’s say that gpa’s are generally give a 0.5 “boost” by colleges.</p>
<p>Probably at the selective privates…but perhaps not at publics. Many publics don’t have the time/money to refigure GPAs since they get so many applicants and don’t have staff to recalculate. Some just take the GPA that’s on the transcript. </p>
<p>*he is applying to one public university which provids Presidential Scholarships. Their website states that scholarship selection is based on rigor of curriculum, rigor of institution, academic potential, recommendations, essays, extracurricular activities and superior SAT scores. He has A’s and B’s with a strong curriculum from a rigorous institution and we know his recommendations, ecs and essays are all very strong. So…maybe he will get some money. I hope! *</p>
<p>I would contact this public and find out how/if they recalculate.</p>