Is GPA really as important as they make it sound for colleges, or is it the courses that built up the GPA? You could have a 4.0 GPA, and it looks spectacular, but that could be all A’s in CP classes.
Course rigor and transcript are very important. Also GPAs are calculated various ways, so you can’t necessarily compare GPA from one high school to another, that’s why colleges ask for the school profile, which gives them information as to how the HS converts grades & calculates GPA.
Don’t spend too much time worrying about the GPAs posted for various colleges. Much of the data used is very incomplete (does an average GPA mean much if it’s only from 28% of the class?) and may not be calculated the same way your school does it.
Good answer above, but I will emphasize that despite the fact that GPAs can differ between schools and can be inflated or deflated, it is still the single most important factor. Especially at colleges which are test optional, in which GPA is king. Despite the fact that GPA can’t be exactly the same for every school, a high GPA still shows that a student has a good work ethic, which is very important in college.
It’s colleges’ job to discern the top scholars. Guess what? Your HS will furnish a template of the toughest courses, typical of the top students. Thus, any grade “deflation” or “inflation” is easily surmised.
Are the 4.0 vals who take cream puff schedules? Yep. And they stand out like a sore thumb to colleges when they review the school report and see they’ve avoided tough courses.
WHile your question is a natural one, trust that colleges have been doing this for a long time. GPA and class choices are still the topmost eval factors for colleges.