<p>Do they change/recalculate your GPA at all or just go off of your school's scale?</p>
<p>Do they disregard freshman year?</p>
<p>What exactly do they do?</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>"Do weighted grades or class rank matter in the evaluation of applications?</p>
<p>Yes and no. We do not come to our difficult decisions through a formula. However, we do want to have a clear picture of the rigor of our applicants programs and the level of competition they face with respect to grading. We know that grading and difficulty of course load, for instance, are not absolutely standard within a single high school, let alone across all the secondary schools on the planet. Any information that illuminates students achievements in the context of their high schools is considered thoughtfully." <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/admissions/u/brief/5QandA.htm">http://www.princeton.edu/pr/admissions/u/brief/5QandA.htm</a></p>
<p>In other words, Princeton takes a good look at your transcript, not for plugging into a formula, but for getting a greater picture of your academic strenghts, opportunities, and challenges. In relation to the rest of your class, you generally need to be at the very top to be accepted as a student. I am not sure about freshman year though I believe that yes, they are considered.</p>
<p>Freshman year is not considered.</p>
<p>But low freshman grades tend to affect rank, which is considered.</p>