I often have students ask me, “What is my GPA?”, “How can I improve my GPA?”, “Does GPA really matter?”. Unfortunately, I usually get these questions from junior and senior students as they are beginning to make their post-secondary plans, but it’s never too late to improve.
GPA, or Grade Point Average, is simply that. An average. It is a cumulative calculation of all the work that has been completed so far. I wanted to take the time to talk about GPA and show students and parents how to calculate it.
Each final mark that a student receives is translated into quality points. So an A would receive 4 quality points for that course, a B=3, C=2, and D=1. The points are then added up and then divided by the number of courses taken to obtain the average, or GPA.
There are two types of GPA, weighted and unweighted. Weighted GPA includes the extra quality points that students receive when they take honors level or AP courses. For example, a student who takes a World History Honors course and receives an A will earn 4.5 quality points instead of the standard 4 (students who are seniors during the 2017-2018 school year still fall under the old scale of 1 additional quality point for honors and 2 for AP courses). The GPA is calculated the same way, by adding the points and dividing by the number of courses attempted. The GPA is usually shown on the student’s transcript. If it is not available, it can be calculated by using report cards. But make sure that only end of semester/year report cards are used so that it will be accurate. If you have questions about your GPA, ask your School Counselor.
When students ask me how they can improve their GPA, the only thing I can tell them is to improve their grades. It takes time to build and improve. Is it important? That depends on the student’s post-secondary plans. Stories of people who have struggled with academics and have been very successful in a variety of careers have been well documented. Throughout this blog we will be exploring the many avenues that students can take after high school, whether they be headed to college or the work force. I hope you will come along for the ride
2 comments on “About GPA Pt. 1”
Anna,
I love this post and your blog all together! Not only does it speak to me from a recent high school graduate (5 years recent) but I can definitely relate to how much my high school didn’t help me when it came to looking for colleges or helping me to decide what I wanted to do with my career. I think this is a great outlet for students and their parents who need a little extra help when it comes to preparing for such a big adventure! Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much!! Please share by blog to anyone who you feel may benefit. Good luck in all of your endeavors!
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