<p>Does anyone know how University of South Carolina re-calculates GPA's? I heard from Admissions they do not use the GPA's from the HS transcripts but they re-calculate them. I asked for the method of how they re-calculate but they wouldn't tell me that or even what the re-calculated GPA was. My son is already accepted but trying to figure out what OoS scholarships he might qualify for. </p>
<p>For example, in our school district:
- An A in a regular course = 4 points
- An A in an honors course = 5 points (1 extra point)
- An A in an AP course = 6 points (2 extra points)</p>
<p>So on his transcript, his UW=3.3 and W=3.96 (lots of honors and AP classes); but that may or may not be USC's re-calculated GPA. (?)
Also, SAT=1800 (1280 CR+M) and ACT=28.
EC's include NHS, varsity swim team, Eagle scout, part-time job as lifeguard, comm.serv. </p>
<p>I know in other schools- like Florida State (for example), they only give a half point (.5) extra for honors courses and 1 point extra for AP course. They are on a 10-point grading scale and our school is on a 7-point grading scale, which puts us at a disadvantage since a 92 for my son is a B, but an A for someone else with a 10-point scale, but that's another story. He got accepted there too but his re-calculated GPA was 3.6 (down from 3.96). </p>
<p>Any idea how USC does it? This is his first school choice but we said he needs to get a scholarship to cut down the OoS tuition costs.</p>
<p>How it was explained to me was to take the total amount of academic classes, eliminate
gym, art, health, electives. Add (1) additional point to all honors and ap classes than divide
by the number of academic classes. You can check with school to be sure.</p>
<p>So that sounds like they count honors and AP as the same if they weigh them the same. If that’s true, then that would actually give a slightly higher W GPA (in his case). Hope that’s true.</p>
<p>I just spoke with an admissions counselor who explained the re-calculation method. </p>
<p>They only count “core classes”. No electives. You can find the core requirements on their web site. </p>
<p>As for their choice of grades to use for the calculation, I will use my daughter’s math classes. She took 6 math classes in high school, however they pulled her Algebra I (from 8th grade), geometry, Algebra II and one more math class. </p>
<p>They weight honors and AP classes with 5 points.</p>
<p>agreene5 - how did they get the Algebra I grade? My son also took Algebra I in 8th grade but neither he nor I remember what he got in the class and it doesn’t show up in his high school transcripts. Good to know they weigh honors and AP both at 5 points. My son has lots of honors but not so many APs - his school does not offer many and tends to discourage students from signing up for the few that they have - I think this is in an effort to keep the average GPA at his high school up.</p>
<p>Just checked my daughters transcript and it does shown her grade. We are in North Carolina and our students are required to pass a state end of course exam and I assume that is why the grade carries over to the high school transcript. </p>
<p>Maybe USC would start with the first math taken in high school if the algebra I grade isn’t available. That would be a question for an admissions counselor.</p>
<p>^^Same in SC - HS courses like Algebra 1 and geometry which are taken in MS show up on HS transcript and grade is used in HS GPA. I’m sure admissions deals with all different situations, but agree that it’s a good idea to call admissions if not sure.</p>
<p>scmom12 and agreene5 - O.K. I guess that it explains it. Our state(or school district) apparently does not do that. I don’t think I will bother admissions, though. DS did get in so for us, anyway, it is a moot point.</p>