<p>when we see that the average gpa is 3.83,is that unweighted??/</p>
<p>How do they calc it??</p>
<p>most likely it is unweighted.
i have no idea how they calculate it.</p>
<p>I'm almost positive that Princeton recalculates your GPA without your freshman year...and somebody told me that they also may take out non-academic classes, like P.E. and stuff.</p>
<p>j07 -- you are correct!</p>
<p>any concrete proof that they recalculate w/o freshman year, or is it pure conjecture?</p>
<p>Yep. I was a Princeton AO.</p>
<p>hehe and we love that you're here talking to us =)</p>
<p>No, I'm serious. :D I just hear a lot of stuff getting thrown around, and I was wondering where this info originated from.</p>
<p>I can't tell you how many unweighted GPAs I calculated in my day. To be clear, I'm not an AO now. But I do have a pretty good feel for how the process works.</p>
<p>And an interest in assisting future alumni!</p>
<p>If only we had met you a few months earlier =P
haha just kidding. we appreciate it, thanks.</p>
<p>Hey, I'm a bit curious about how the GPA thing works.</p>
<p>In my school, we have no class rank. However, our guidance office gives an interval chart that looks something like this:
GPA chart:
(All GPAs are weighted)</p>
<p>Sample:
4.25 and higher: 17 students are in this range out of 440 students
Top GPA of class: 4.74
2nd highest GPA of class: 4.63
Your GPA: 4.52
Let's say the applicant's grades from 10th-11th were like:
5 A's, 5 A-'s.
I am guessing their unweighted (calculated by Princeton) GPA would be 3.85? (Assuming A- is a 3.7)
Would they rely more on unweighted GPA, or this weighted GPA that the guidance office provides, or both? Or would they use the weighted information to calculate an estimated class rank? Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi Hbarns,
I didn't have a math class in school as a sophomore, and took a distance education course instead. Does the distance education grade go into gpa recalculation, or is it ignored?</p>
<p>With the recalculated GPA, you couldn't have greater than a 4.0. So that becomes a moot point. The AO calculation would take precedence.</p>
<p>The interval chart is useful, as would be counting the strength of your courseload relative to what was available.</p>
<p>Class rank doesn't matter all that much, in the sense that you'd automatically go for a #1 vs. a #2. What the ADCom is looking for is a sense that a) you can do the work and b) you'd be an asset to the class.</p>
<p>Coming back to my main point all evening, this is where essays and teacher recs play a huge role in choosing from among the myriad wonderful applicants.</p>
<p>Arwen, </p>
<p>I can't answer that accurately. My guess is that it would not be included, but things may have changed over the past couple of years.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply! My unweighted GPA is pretty low compared to everyone's 4.0s on this website, so I am absolutely freaking out between doing my physics homework. I was also wondering if AP scores or awards (like qualifying for stuff like USAMO) are considered? Thanks so much!</p>
<p>AP scores matter, as do awards. But once again, most of you look great statistically. It's the qualitative stuff that makes the difference in a pool like this.</p>
<p>lol APs are probably my weakest point.
I've taken so many classes, but not many tests.</p>
<p>It all only makes sense as a comprehensive picture.</p>
<p>Great GPA but low scores>overachiever, I'd better read it again.</p>
<p>Great scores but low GPA>slacker, but look at the context -- is this someone who just wasn't engaged?</p>
<p>Neither is ideal, but the Princeton process is geared towards the individual, and making sure that you're read as an individual in a particular context. You will not be dismissed simply on the basis of numbers.</p>
<p>"Great GPA but low scores>overachiever, I'd better read it again."</p>
<p>it could also be grade inflation...right?</p>
<p>Sure. That's why you recalculate the GPA to begin with, and why you want to know as much as possible about the high school.</p>