Just a quick question. I’ll either end this semester and have a UW GPA of 3.533 or 3.4996. If I send it to colleges could i round the 3.4996 if they say “GPA of at least 3.5” or “GPA of at least 3.50”?
End the semester with a 3.533 and then your question will become moot. But if you end with a 3.4996 and the program requires a 3.5, you can say whatever you want, but your application will likely not be considered since you did not meet the requirement.
I’m trying my best to end with the 3.533, but I’m asking just to know.
Most places will truncate GPAs, not round
Most transcripts also don’t report GPA to 4 decimal places.
Ask your guidance counselor how your GPA will appear on your transcript under each circumstance and use that number.
check your career center for guides to writing resumes. Some colleges say absolutely no rounding. Others say it’s ok. (By using the career center guidance you have an excuse if someone doesn’t like what you did.)
Proper mathematics say a request for a 3.5 implies 2 significant figures. Your GPA to 2 sig figs would be a 3.5.
FWIW, I disagree that most places would truncate. I have never seen anyone that would consider a 3.499 to be a 3.4.
But curious - what college states a minimum GPA?
For scholarship purposes, not admissions I’m asking for.
If truncating, a 3.499 GPA would be a 3.49, not a 3.4. And if a scholarship requires a 3.50, I doubt they will award $ if the requirements are not met.
I’ve worked in higher education for 20 years. If a minimum GPA of 2.00 is required for a degree, in my experience a student with a GPA of 1.9999 would not qualify.
You need to reread the OP’s question. If the transcript shows 3.4996 or 3.49, whether s/he truncates or rounds on an application is irrelevant. If applying for a program that requires a 3.5 GPA, a 3.4996 appearing on a transcript (or a 3.4999999999 for that matter) is < 3.5. The program directors are not going to do mental gymnastics and debate rounding vs truncating; they will either accept the application or reject it on GPA regardless of what any of us think. Again, if the OP finishes with a 3.533, the whole discussion is moot.
It depends if they are calculating the GPA themselves or simply using the one on the transcript. My kids’ transcripts show GPA to three decimals, so this would show as a 3.500.
It depends on the school. My D’s school truncates. You would not have a 3.5 with a 3.4999 unless you attend a school that rounds.
every school is different in how they handle it. my son’s final transcript also showed only two digits, but he actually benefited since it rounded up.
Thanks for all the responses. Found out my school sends weighted GPA rather than unweighted, and the schools I was looking at say they look at the higher of the two. Still obviously shooting for the 3.533 though.