In the University of Florida 2015-2016 Common Data Set I saw that the average GPA for incoming freshman was 4.2-4.5. This range is very interesting and confusing to me and I was hoping someone could shed some light on it.
Does anyone know how grades are weighted when you input them into UF’s SSAR (self-report system)?
I’d like to know where my son’s grade would place him on their scale.
Grades are converted to 4.0 scale with + or - grades not considered. Honors classes are weighted with additional .5 and AP/IB/AICE/DE are weighted with an additional 1.0.
But here is the interesting part, they only consider academic classes in the calculation. So typically if someone takes 4 years of band and gets all As it brings down their weighted GPA because it was not an honors or AP class. But not at UF, non academic classes don’t pull down your GPA so that is why the GPA may seem a little higher. My D’s is about a .125 higher using the UF method.
@CaucAsianDad This is very helpful. Thanks. Unfortunately I think this system hurts my son as he has several B+ grades in AP classes. I’ll have to sit at a spreadsheet and try to figure it out.
UF requires (so far) that students input their grades into the Student Self-reported Academic Record (SSAR). They only accept transcripts after you’ve been accepted. Read through the Q&A and you’ll see how grades are handled.
http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/ugrad/ssar.html
For example:
So, if they took Algebra 1 in the 8th grade, you would include it in the SSAR (and GPA calculation).
I haven’t looked at the SSAR in a few years, but it used to include the option of inputting your school’s GPA (by year?), as it appears on the transcript (you’ll need to order a transcript from your school, to fill out the SSAR). This GPA would follow whatever format used by your HS.
Not looking forward to filling out that SSAR again…wish they just took the &$%^ transcripts. 
Do you think that…
Intro to fine art
Intro to computers
Religion 1, 2, 3, and 4
would count as academic classes?
SSAR is such a pain. In our travels, we needed it for UF, FSU, and Florida Poly.
@STEM2017 - we just did SSAR this past year (Class of 2016) and IIRC (not looking at it right this second) the fine art and religion classes would have no spot on the SSAR.
Intro to computers might but I can’t remember which section. (??)
My son got credit on SSAR for a programming class he took at FAU, but then again that was DE.
Double check me on all this. Moving right now and don’t have files in front of me.
RE: Post #2
My D is in the same boat, however with rigorous enough course load (plenty of AP courses) an a lot of non-weighted grades not counting since they are non-academic, her UF GPA is about 0.4 above her UW GPA. I have seen others that were more.
And yes, I have a spreadsheet to do the calculations.
^just ran his spreadsheet and his GPA isn’t affected much. Looks like it’s in range.
I read that UF will be using the coalition app. Will they still require the SSAR? Also is the SSAR available now or do you have to wait for the application to open? Thanks!
@loulou13 I don’t know if it will be required in the fall, but it’s likely.
You could create your account and start on the SSAR (it’s not due till Dec 1), but you’ll need a copy of your HS transcripts, that include your finale junior year grades, before you can complete it…
I like the idea behind SSAR, but the execution still needs some tweaking.
We couldn’t do +/- grades (??). Also, out-of-state kids sometimes have weird gpa/classification issues (I remember reading someone here from Mass [?] who was having trouble).
And yes, you do want a transcript in front of you so that you enter all the data accurately.
The SSAR works well for in-state public school students, as the classes all have standard coding. For example:
Geometry would be coded into the SSAR as “120631061 GEOMETRY”, AP World History is coded with “210942001” and on.
Very few classes didn’t have a “code” to enter into the SSAR. If you’re out of state, your classes don’t follow the Florida standard. It can be hard to tell when a class should be classified as “honors” or not.
However, I think UF does consider this, when reviewing OOS students.
I’m from an out of state private high school and I have Two quick questions:
@pitt2021 Here’s the link to the “coalition” website. You can read all of the propaganda. Basically it replaces UF’s custom app and 58 colleges will be using it for the first time this fall. We don’t know if switching to the coalition app will have any impact on the SSAR. I would think it doesn’t. The SSAR was already separate from the app.
http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/
You don’t NEED the transcripts, but it makes it far easy to input the class info (and ensures whatever you input matches the official transcripts). However, as long as you have the classes and grades, you should be able to do it. For in-state kids, they can use the state provide codes (see my posting above), but for OOS students, having the transcripts isn’t as useful.
@Gator88NE thank you very much. It would appear that the coalition app is similar to the common app, but I’m not really sure.