<p>What is weighed or unweighed gpa mean...i never totally got that..can some one explain to me that system?</p>
<p>Ok, I'm only familiar with the 4.0 scale so that's what I'll explain.
In the 4.0 unweighted scale, grades throughout all your classes are worth equal weight. So for example, a B in AP English would receive the same score as a B in cooking class(an easy one), even though chances are that 99% of the time, AP English is going to be tougher and more time consuming. </p>
<p>This obviously isn't entirely fair, especially in the computation of class rank. My grandmother has her own sore spot that she got salututorion while taking classes way more difficult than the valedictorian.</p>
<p>So, a lot of schools compensate for the difference by assigning different point values to toughter classes and that's what we call weighted GPA. However, the way in which schools weight them vary considerably throughout the nation and there isn't a universal standard. Essentially, unless two schools are using the exact same weighting system, comparing weighted GPAs between two students at the school is essentially useless and can't give you an accurate picture. But it is a very useful tool in comparing the academic accomplishments of students at the same school. At my school, we operate on a 4.0 scale where an AP class gets 5 for an A, rather than the normal 4.</p>
<p>At my school, honors courses are NOT weighted, but AP courses are. An A in an AP course is 4.5 points, an A in an honors course is just a 4. I guess that just supports what Chrysalis said about comparing weighted gpas of people from different schools.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, many colleges will recalculate your gpa anyway. Many colleges, particularly the select private and public universities, will throw out nonacademic courses like gym, health, personal finance, and will add extra weight to courses such as AP, IB and possibly honors classes.</p>
<p>If, for instance, one has a "B", 3.0 average with taking 4 AP courses, some colleges will consider that a 4.0, some will consider it a 3.5.</p>
<p>I invite you to start posting some of your questions on the parents board. There are lots of very helpful, very well informed posters there who take students like you under their wings. This includes some other black Ivy grads and some black parents whose kids are Ivy bound.</p>
<p>In addition, I suggest that you post there a shorter, edited version of the other thread that you started here. You'll get more attention if you have a subject that more clearly lets viewers know your concerns. I suggest something like "African-born, Ivy hopeful soph wants advice."</p>