<p>It is A, A-, B+ etc and we computed the gpa (required on some applications, but thankfully not on the common app) using 4.0 for A, 3.7 for A- etc. I’ve included everything, including PE and electives, because the one university where my son had to fill a GPA asked to self report gpa based on ALL courses. Most of the colleges son is applying to use the common app, which doesn’t ask for a GPA. We weren’t the first one to be frustrated by the school’s attitude, 'cos the school maintains that it is doing a great job of educating its students and that despite its approach to grading and reporting, students do get into top schools each year. As an immigrant educated outside of the US in a very different education system, I didn’t grasp the significance of this school’s approach to grading until the end of my son’s freshman year. But our son, who had already spent four years at that school, wanted to continue there for the next three years.</p>
<p>I don’t want to sidetrack the discussion on this thread; just wanted to understand how colleges/universities that are unfamiliar with the school’s grading/reporting system might view the discrepancy. Thanks for the info I have received so far.</p>