so I dont really know how colleges look at my GPAs. Do they find an average of all 4 year’s GPAs, or an average of just sophomore and junior year?
I just finished my freshman year of high school with a GPA of 4.25 weighted and 3.75 in weighted, what GPA do I need to get in the next few years in order to increase my chances of getting into a good UC or a prestigious college?
Please help, thank you
Seriously. Stop focusing on GPA and prestige. Focus on your learning and have fun in High School. It’s not about where you go. It’s about what you do.
Well said @worcestershire
Your GPA looks fine, most people who are submitted to very competitive schools generally have an unweighted GPA of 3.75+. However, it’s impossible to give you an exact number because many schools don’t publish unweighted/weighted GPA data and most high schools calculate GPA differently. If your high school ranks, that will give you a better idea of your chances because colleges look at your GPA in the context of what GPA students in your HS typically earn. Generally, try to be in the top 10% of your class to give yourself the best chance at very competitive schools.
Most (but not all; for example, I don’t think Stanford looks at 9th grade grades) selective private schools look at your grades from 9th-11th grade and possibly your first semester senior grades when they are available.
Your GPA is not what’s going to rule you out of selective colleges. These schools practice holistic admissions, so there is no GPA that will guarantee your get accepted (or denied for that matter). Your course rigor, SAT/ACT scores, personal statement, letters of rec, extracurricular activities, etc. are all taken into account as well.
As for UCs, they calculate GPA based on A-G courses taken in 10th-11th grades, with an extra point for AP/IB classes. You can look up average GPAs for each UC. Here’s more information on how to calculate your UC GPA: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/q-and-a/calculating-gpa/
On a final note, enjoy high school and don’t worry too much about your GPA. It’s good to be planful and think about college, but you don’t need to obsess over your GPA this early.
How do UCs look at Honors classes?
For purposes of computing your class rank, honors are bumped. The top UC’s will give you more credit for APs, however.
Not all Honors classes will give you the extra Honors points in the UC GPA calculation. They need to be UC approved, so if you are a California HS student, you can look up your HS honors classes that approved on this website:
https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist#/list/search/institution
OOS applicants have no UC approved Honors classes that will get the extra points. Only AP/IB or DE courses qualify.