<p>The issue is simply how any particular school weights. Many count a normal A+ as 4.33 and then add 1 point to any AP or honors class. Thus, an A+ in an honors class counts as 5.33, even a B+ gets 4.33. In essence if you take mostly honors or AP courses and have just below an overall A- average, you can get that 4.5. Others even add two points for a weighted class. The thing is that it varies widely. Some nearby high schools in our area are real misers when it comes to weighting classes -- taking an AP or honors course adds .02 to the grade point in that class and you can get that extra up to a maximum of 3 courses a semester, with the result that few seniors exceed 4.0.</p>
<p>A substantial number of the "interest" cards I see from schools, the kind you send back,ask specifically for UW (unweighted). D's school doesn't even calculate an UW. I believe that most schools will take the school's grading policy into consideration. The transcript will hopefully be viewed holistically. D's school weights with an A in honors, or AP getting a 5.0 on a 4.0 scale. Also only core courses are included. English, Social Sciences, Science, and Math only. Foreign language, health, speech, art, band are not considered. Seems to be fairly standard in our area.</p>