<p>I currently have a 3.8/4.0 GPA, which is a bit weak considering the schools I want to go to (i.e. JHU, Caltech), but do colleges actually look at the less important classes (orchestra, phys ed, tech, health, etc) or do they just recalculate your GPA with the more academic classes? Also, the reason why my GPA isn't >3.9 is that I got lots of Bs in middle school, but some of them are for high school credit. Will top tier colleges overlook the Bs I got in middle school (that are on my transcript because they are high school credit) since I have gotten mostly As in high school (1 B freshman and 2 junior)? Also, how much will my senior grades affect colleges' decisions if lets say, I got straight Bs instead of straight As- or do colleges not mind unless if I get a D or lower.</p>
<p>Some schools do calculate your GPA using their own criteria, but they’ll all have their own unique way of doing it.</p>
<p>I’m not really sure about the middle school classes for high school credit part, I wouldn’t have thought that those would have shown up on your transcript at all. However about the weaker classes and higher classes, they will not recalculate your gap at all but they will (actually, your college counselor at your high school probably did) give you a rigor ranking from 1 to 6. A 6 would have to have at least some AP’s if they are offered at your school, and almost as many honors as it was possible for you to take. A 5 would be just a few honors courses less. Rigor rating matters A LOT in the admissions process.</p>
<p>Getting straight Bs senior year will do you no good, and will likely torpedo your chances at top schools. Bad, bad idea.</p>
<p>As for the rest of your grades, all you can do is apply and see what happens. Each school will evaluate the transcript differently, but your grades are what they are, so live with it, apply, and take your chances.</p>
<p>"I wouldn’t have thought that those would have shown up on your transcript at all. " They do. If you get credit for it, it’s going to be shown on your transcript. If you didn’t like your grade, you probably had the option to decline credit for classes taken in middle school and repeat the class in high school.</p>
<p>Each school has it’s own policy about what they do and do not include in GPAs. The colleges likely will as well, and they’ll probably remove any MS courses, even though you get credit toward graduation in your state. Our HS lists the MS courses, mainly math and foreign language, but doesn’t count them for GPA purposes, nor do they count online courses taken for credit like gym and health. HS courses taken by MS students at the HS do count, to my knowledge, but YMMV.</p>
<p>Like others are saying it really depends on the College. I don’t think they really care how well you did in PE or something like that, unless you are a Phys Ed major.</p>