is it true that the ivies only look at your unweighted gpa? and why? please explain thanks!
They still consider the rigor of your coursework. But different schools use different weighting methods so for consistency, they use their own formula/method of taking in course difficulty into account.
do you know or have any idea what the formula is or is like?
If you have to rely on the formula for GPA your chances for Ivy admission are low.
It’s not a formula. And H doesn’t recalculate. Your transcript will show class selections and the letter grade (or numerical.) They can scan fast and see the B’s and C’s. Then check what those classes are, how important to your academic path.
Look at post #3. The vast vast majority of the students denied at Harvard are 3.9s and above. You REALLY need to get off this Harvard obsession. Should you apply? Maybe. But your constant theme of questions about how and if and why Harvard might accept you (basically every question you’ve posted since you joined CC) shows you’re really expending way too much energy & emotion into a school with one of the lowest accept rates extant. Read through this and note those who are rejected:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1865655-harvard-rd-class-of-2020-result-thread.html#latest
Then meet w/your GC and discuss which schools prior students have successfully applied to from your HS. Doggedness in many circumstances is to be praised. This isn’t one of them.
FWIW: When you apply to college, your high school sends their “profile” to an Admissions Office which allows a college to “decode” a student’s GPA, regardless if it’s weighted or unweighted. Many high schools have their profiles on-line for any college to see. If you haven’t seen your high school’s profile, ask your GC for a copy. For example, here is a college profile which displays weighted GPA. Notice the number of students at the very top end of the weighted GPA – if you are NOT in that top end (16 students), or in the second to top end (42 students), you should not be applying to Harvard from this high school, as you are probably not a competitive applicant in relation to your peers from this high school: http://www.bls.org/ourpages/auto/2013/5/24/55204166/2015-16%20BLS%20Profile.pdf
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Closing thread. Question has been asked and answered, and the OP is no longer a member here.