In 10th grade, I took 2 AP classes which in a normal year would amount to 4 UC honor points (2 per semester) for UC GPA calculation purposes. My school district chose a blanket Pass/Fail option for the 2nd semester, wiping out 2 hard-earned As in the process.
Question: Do I still get the 2 points for the AP courses, or did my school just screw me out of the honors points. My Fully weighted GPA tanks quite a bit without these honors points.
If you have Pass/Fail grades for the AP courses, then no extra Honors points are given for the UC GPA calculation, however, you will list the AP courses on your application which will show HS course rigor (one of the Very important areas for the UC application review). If P/NP policy was a blanket policy, there is nothing that can be done other than make sure this policy is listed on your school report so AdComs are aware.
Thank you. I am really frustrated with the school district - they could have let students decide whether to use P/NP or keep letter grades. I am also very confused - how the hell would the UCs review applications in a fair way when there are so many nuances and caveats to the GPA (not to mention AB104).
You are not alone in your frustration but even without P/NP, Covid policies and AB104, the UC’s review applicants in the context of their HS. There are HS’s that do not offer or have limited AP/IB and Honors classes and these circumstances are not held against applicants.
All you can do is present the best possible application with the forced restrictions. Best of luck to you.
@gumbymom Our school district kept grades throughout the pandemic but implemented AB104 choice to convert any 2020-21 grades to pass/fail. When students are reporting their UC/CSU GPAs in the stats only threads, can they note whether any of their grades were pass/fail? While the CA legislatures’ intent was for converting Ds to pass/fail, I would imagine that the UC/CSU GPA is “inflated” if any C’s or B’s were converted to pass/fail.
Applicants are free to put any comments in the Stats only threads. It does help to have context in regards to the grades especially during the Pandemic.
True but by that same token, if someone uses AB104 to hide bad grades in an AP/Hons class, they will lose the honors points and that will also negatively affect the UC GPA. In addition, it may also affect class rigor metrics as judged by # of AP/Hons. To me, unless someone had a D, using AB104 to hide B/C grades is a net negative.
I hear you re: your frustration. Hopefully, the UC readers noted your rigor via the courses and that they evaluated you in the context of your HS, which presumably all seniors were subject to the district’s blanket Pass/Fail option.