@Lindagaf …That is completely false. Colleges use wGPA to reflect course vigor, class rank etc… They will not compare wGPA to other applicants due to different weights used at HS’s but again almost every top applicant will have a 4.0uwGPA.
wGPA is used to separate the students at each individual HS. The uwGPA is what the colleges use for average gpa of colleges is true.
On the college data website Harvard lists both uw and w gpa on admissions. 3.85uw 4.34w.
How is it even possible for so many students on CC are able to keep 4.0 unweighted GPA for 4 years if they are taking challenging classes? They never get any stingy teacher who just won’t give anything above 90 no matter how hard you try. In our district you have to have 97 or above in every single course to get an unweighted 4.0. No one is able to do that with a heavy AP/IB load. Only system gamers who dropped tough courses and played office aid or got lower grades removed by faking concussions and such.
@“Yalie 2011”
I’ll give you an example:
Student A…Biology, Algebra 1, English 1, P.E, Social sciences, 4.0
Student B…Biology honors, Geometry honors, English 1 honors, Foreign L, Honors World 4.0
Student C…AP Biology, Algebra 2 honors, AP English or Honors English 2, STEM, APHG 4.0
Average, above average and high end students all a decent path to 4.0. Thus the wGPA is what separates them within the HS. Kids(here) don’t ask what’s your gpa…they ask what’s your wGPA.
However, colleges may recalculate weighted GPAs with their own methods, rather than accepting the weighted GPAs from the high schools, which have different weighting methods. Weighted GPA without the context of the weighting method gives insufficient information as to how good it is, and cannot be compared to weighted GPAs using different weighting methods.
In the context of these forums, unweighted GPA is more useful; weighted GPA is only useful if the weighting method is described, since more responding posters are not familiar with the poster’s high school.
Re post 21, isn’t that what I said? The college isn’t looking at the GPA of everyone in a single high school, only the student that applied to the college.
@“Yalie 2011” most colleges, except notably in Texas, don’t use ranking anymore. This is because many high schools have abandoned rankings. The counselor’s report will state what percentile the student is in.
@ucbalumnus agreed
Currently about 60% of US high schools use class rank. Many colleges have simply gone to percentile as Lindagaf states. I guess the way to approach it would be that 2 kids from the same HS with 4.0 uwGPA applying to the same college “could” be separated by using the wGPA since that particular HS would have the same weight for determination.
Innate intelligence, intellectual curiosity, hard work, and time management.
You forgot grade inflation, @sherpa 
Honestly I think gpa is a better view overall of how well you’ve done in school and what kind student you are. But test scores make it easier for colleges to compare students from different schools, since an A one might be harder get than another school…
@“Yalie 2011”
Your district seems ridiculously tough. My cousin goes to a high school in Montgomery County, MD school district and says that grading is super lenient here despite the fact that it’s one of the wealthiest and best educated counties in the US. He took 5 APs junior year including AP Chem and Calc BC while maintaining a perfect 4.0 UW / 4.8 W.
However, he definitely didn’t get above 97 in any subject; over here everything above 90 is considered an A. Furthermore, getting an A the first marking period and a B the second marking period is still considered an A for the semester (so you don’t need As for all 4 quarters). So I think your school district is just excessively stingy on giving 4.0s… that kind of sucks but at least colleges take it into account most of the time.
@sherpa There was no shortage of that at our school but it just wasn’t possible for students taking challenging AP/IB courses with teachers who had very high standards. It was much easier for people who avoided tough teachers and rigorous load. I guess it’s easier in districts where you need 90 or 95 to make 4.0, mine requires 97. I don’t recall anyone in top 2% with a UW 4.0 as everyone wanted higher weighted GPA and full rigor. There were many in lower ranks who had 4.0 unweighted as they cherry picked courses and teachers. None of them got into top ranked colleges.
As a Florida resident whose parents supposedly won’t fund college, your most likely landing spot will be a Florida college. You will want to qualify for Bright Futures and merit from the school.
You can take a student loan for $5500 a year and then get jobs to pay the rest - assuming your profile is outstanding to get the max bright futures and a generous merit award most likely from a school other than UF or FSU.