<p>So basically, quite a few people I've encountered on this site have had average weighted GPAs of 4.7, 4.8 or higher. Seriously, how is that possible?</p>
<p>If you had 8 classes a year, wouldn't someone realistically need around 7 AP classes each year?</p>
<p>For 7 classes, you'd need 6 APs. </p>
<p>For 6 classes, you'd need 5 APs.</p>
<p>And some of these people don't even have 4.00 uw gpa. Am I just crazy to think people would be taking 6-7 APs junior, sophmore, and FRESHMAN (really????) year?</p>
<p>My uw gpa is 4.00. I'm 3rd in my class. I took 0 APs fresh (not allowed fresh year), 1 AP soph year, and 4 APs junior year. So I basically have a 4.2w gpa...which I thought was good....until people starting posting about 4.8w gpas!!!!</p>
<p>Every school weights differently. For example I have a 4.95, but I’ve only taken 4 AP’s going into senior year (albeit the rest are still honors)</p>
<p>Then can you explain your weighting system? Seriously, I feel like my 4.2 gpa looks pretty inferior to people with close to 5.0 gpas.</p>
<p>salsapenguin – the thing is, it does NOT look inferior. Schools use different waiting systems, so most top colleges do not care at ALL about weighted GPA. They either…</p>
<p>a) calculate their own GPA (usually unweighted, usually without gym,art,etc.)</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>b) just look at grades for certain classes</p>
<hr>
<p>don’t worry about anything that you can’t change yourself. A 4.0 uw GPA is great; it will look as good as anyone’s.</p>
<p>Adcoms know all schools weight according to their own formulas and some are more generous with extra weighting points than others. Some weight honors. The hs profile will explain the system used. Adcoms look at your transcript for rigor (in the context of what’s available or allowed) and grades. It’s not all about who has the most APs.</p>
<p>My school gives an extra .05 for honors classes and .1 for AP classes. my UW is low 3.9 something… (3.93?)</p>
<p>Maybe they mean just for that semester they have 4.8. Even if they are taking all AP classes it would not add upto 5.0 for the entire school career. Most schools require classes like gym and not every class a student takes all 4 years is an AP. </p>
<p>My dd had @ a 4.5 ending wgpa(don’t have transcript) and @ 3.9 uwgpa. Her highest GPA for one semester was a 5.0. She had 7 IB classes including theory of Knowlege and 1 AP class. But her freshman year she could only have a 4.25 weighed GPA because all she could take is some honors classes. She had graduation requirements that were not high level classes like gym, piano and keyboard. </p>
<p>For this last semester her gpa at the bottom of the grade report was a 4.69. That is what she earned and she got all A’s. This is not her high school actual gpa but her gpa for that semester. The actual gpa will be on the transcript and weigh all her classes to give an average over the 4 years. </p>
<p>I do know some high schools use a 6.0 scale and give .125 for honors and .25 for APs.</p>
<p>My dd’s school use .625 per honors class and .125 weight per IB/AP classes.</p>
<p>Yes, it is all very true how schools weight different. Although you shouldn’t be intimidated, try calculating your weighted GPA on the 5.0 scale yourself. It’ll give you a little relief with a common weight system.</p>
<p>Take classes outside. FLVS, etc.</p>
<p>my school weights weighted GPA out of 5.3. so not every weighted GPA is out of 5 :D</p>
<p>Just a few of the different weighting scales I know of:</p>
<p>Regular class A = 4 points
Honors class A = 5 points
AP class A = 6 points</p>
<p>Regular class A = 4 points
Honors OR AP class A = 5 points</p>
<p>Regular class A = 4 points
Honors class A = 4.5 points
GT/AP class A = 5 points</p>
<p>That’s why the school has to send a “school profile” that explains all this to the admissions offices, and why the admissions officers look at the transcript, not just the GPA.</p>
<p>If you got all A’s, or almost all A’s, and you took a tough schedule, that is about all even the best schools want of you.</p>
<p>This is also one of the major problems with “Chance Me Threads”.</p>
<p>Assuming they have any value to begin with (a dubious proposition), without understanding a school’s grading system, opinions are totally worthless.</p>
<p>You nailed it. It’s the reason I don’t do chance replies - and someone (YOU! It’s your idea!) should post a “Why Chance-Me Posts Are Nonsense” thread, and it should be stickied and required reading before you are allowed to post on CC, IMHO.</p>
<p>Every so often, some wise person does warn kids about chance me threads. Does no good. </p>
<p>They are flat out told it’s not a matter of stats.<br>
They are also warned that other high school kids (imagine the expertise!) are the last ones who can judge their records or review their essays.<br>
They are also warned against the persistent myths that all you have to do is focus on a short list of your passions. Or that myth that community service doesn’t count. </p>
<p>Does no good.</p>
<p>I don’t mind when it’s a good kid who needs some perspectve and already realizes the challenges. But sometimes I want to be mean mommy with the others.</p>
<p>Well, it is worth replying sometimes – like when you see someone asking about an Ivy (or equivalent) with a 3.7GPA and 2100 SATs, and there are 6 responses saying “You have no chance”. (The only correct answer, IMO is – “apply and find out”).</p>
<p>Original Poster - you earned the highest grade possible. That is a very good accomplishment.</p>
<p>For freshman and sophomores, accelerated classes at my school enable us to get a 4.889 by the end of freshman year. By senior year, you can get a 5.01 UW GPA with AP classes</p>
<p>Ok, this makes much more sense. Basically, at my school, it’s out of a 5.0 for weighted and each A in an AP counts as 5 while an A in a regular or honors class only counts as a 4. </p>
<p>Thank you! Seriously, it’s ridiculous how many ways there are to calculate weighted GPA!</p>