Unweighted vs. weighted GPAs - which are more important?

<p>I know this may be a tough question to answer, and may depend on the college...but I'm wondering...</p>

<p>In our district, getting a B in an honors course is weighted as an A would be in a regular course. So, some kids in honors feel like a B in there is as good as an A in a regular course. However, I'm reading the many colleges simply look at unweighted GPA. Of course, this begs the question: Why take honors courses if you will be penalized for them, as the teachers tend to be tougher graders, at least in our district? Of course I know that it is always better to have a tougher curriculum to show on your transcript, but if it means the difference of a lower GPA, is it worth it?</p>

<p>Can anyone add their insight to this?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>well, imo, it depends. if weighted GPA is used to calculate class rank/decile, then yes - it is more important than your unweighted GPA. if unweighted GPA is used to calculate rank - or if your school doesn't calculate rank - then i would think unweighted is better.</p>

<p>You take honors courses because top colleges want A's in honors courses. They're astute enough to see around the BS of weighted and unweighted GPAs, and are known to compute their own GPA anyway. After all, the GPA shenanigans are not limited to weight or not. Add: gym or not? frosh year or not? and so forth.</p>

<p>Now, when it comes to class rank, things become a bit trickier. A lot of better high schools have stopped reporting class rank at all, much to the frustration of adcoms everywhere, who then guess at it based on experience. Other HS report two class ranks, based on weighted and unweighted GPA.</p>

<p>So, to summarize:</p>

<p>If you aspire to a top ranked college, you must take your chances with honors and AP courses. To do otherwise will pretty well eliminate yourself from the competition. Remember they want you to take the "most challenging" courseload.</p>

<p>Yes, agreeing with newmassdad. I've heard near-identical versions of the following exchange with Ivy League admissions officers several times:</p>

<p>"Is is better to get an A in a regular class or a B in an AP class?"</p>

<p>"Well, it's best to get an A in an AP class. But we want to see you challenging yourself most of all."</p>

<p>I don't think it matters much that colleges compute their own GPAs. Weighting mainly gives you extra credit for taking harder classes, and the selective colleges will have their own way of doing that. So using weighted GPAs would be double-counting.</p>

<p>That said, it may depend on where you want to apply. If the schools you're interested in are not the Ivy League or Williams-Amherst type colleges, you may not get any advantage taking AP classes. Or, more correctly, the advantage you get will depend on the class. If the AP class is better and more challenging, and you can handle the work without compromising your health, you probably ought to do that. Not because it will get you into college, but because you'll learn more. If you are not going to learn more in the AP class, and it won't help you get into college, then don't take it.</p>

<p>At our school we rank by unweighted. Our school is so BS.</p>

<p>What's important is how the applicant stacks up against the other kids from the same high school class.</p>

<p>By and large, the college admissions offices are pretty good at sorting it out...whether it's class rank, weighted GPA, unweighted GPA. In most cases, there is enough information on the transcript, school profile, and recommendations to know if a kid is a top student or not...especially when a high school has a track record of getting kids into comparable colleges.</p>

<p>If in doubt, ask to see the school profile the high schools sends to colleges with the transcript.</p>

<p>Onesharon,</p>

<p>Inevitably, somebody will ask this question every year at every competitive H.S. in every state in the country. Guaranteed. </p>

<p>Newmassdad gave you an excellent response that was further supported by JHS and Interesteddad. I think their advice is exceptionally sound, and I think your chances for admission at highly-selective colleges will be well served if you heed that advice.</p>

<p>Colleges unweight all weighted grades - so everyone/everything is equalized. Unless you are going to be a fine arts major, they delete grades in minors such as art and gym class. They don't care about an A in gym. So basically your whole GPA is recalculated. They care most about the fact that the student has taken the most challenging courses offered and they ask the school about the courses offered. Colleges know that different numbers of AP's are offered at different schools. They compare the student to the high school he/she is attending. Hope this helps!</p>

<p>Of course failing gym probably doesn't help you get off a waiting list...</p>

<p>Happened to the slacker son of a friend of mine. Low GPA -1600 old style SAT scores.</p>