High School GPA Calculator
Calculate your high school GPA with both weighted (honors/AP) and unweighted scales. Essential for college applications.
How is weighted GPA different from unweighted GPA?
Unweighted GPA uses standard 4.0 scale (A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0). Weighted GPA adds bonus points for advanced courses: Honors classes add 0.5 points, AP/IB classes add 1.0 point. Example: An A in regular class = 4.0, same A in honors = 4.5, in AP = 5.0. This rewards students taking challenging courses. Most high schools use weighted (up to 5.0 scale), while colleges often recalculate to unweighted for fair comparison.
What is a good high school GPA for college admissions?
GPA expectations vary by college tier: Top 20 schools (Harvard, MIT, Stanford) want 3.9-4.0 unweighted or 4.5+ weighted with rigorous AP courses. Top 50 schools want 3.7-3.9 unweighted. State universities typically want 3.0-3.5. Community colleges accept 2.0+. Context matters: Course rigor is equally important. A 3.7 with 10 AP classes beats 4.0 with easy courses. Competitive schools see transcripts, not just GPA numbers.
Can I raise my GPA senior year for college applications?
Partially. Early decision/action deadlines (Nov 1-15) only see grades through junior year plus senior fall semester. Regular decision (Jan 1) includes first semester senior grades. Reality: Junior year GPA heavily impacts admissions. Going from 3.2 to 3.5 requires straight A's senior year (minimal impact on cumulative). Best strategy: Excel in current courses, explain upward trend in essays, consider gap year if significant improvement needed.
How do colleges recalculate high school GPA?
Most colleges recalculate GPAs using their own standards: Remove non-academic classes (PE, health, art), use only core subjects (English, math, science, history, foreign language), strip out freshman year (UC system), convert to unweighted 4.0 scale, or add their own weighting system. Stanford recalculates completely. This levels playing field across different high schools. Focus on strong grades in core academic courses - those count most.
Should I take regular classes for higher GPA or AP classes for lower GPA?
Take AP classes. Competitive colleges want course rigor over inflated GPAs. A 3.7 weighted GPA with 8 AP courses is far better than 4.0 with no AP courses. Admissions officers see full transcripts and judge course difficulty. Exception: If struggling in AP (getting C's/D's), drop to honors level. B in AP is fine, but D in AP hurts more than A in regular. Balance challenge with performance - take hardest courses where you can earn B+ or better.
How is class rank calculated from GPA?
Class rank = Your GPA position among all students in graduating class, expressed as percentile or absolute rank. Top 10% means GPA in top tenth of class. Valedictorian = highest GPA (#1 rank), salutatorian = second highest. Some schools weight all GPAs, others use unweighted. Many schools eliminated class rank due to competitiveness. If your school ranks, aim for top 10% (essential for top colleges) or top 25% (good for state schools).
What GPA do I need for athletic scholarships?
NCAA Division I requires 2.3 GPA minimum in 16 core courses for full eligibility. Division II requires 2.2 GPA. These are minimums - competitive programs want 3.0+. Many colleges require 3.5+ for athletic scholarships. Academic GPA affects scholarship amounts and eligibility. Lower GPA limits scholarship options and recruiting. Elite athletic talent may get more flexibility, but academic performance still matters for admission and maintaining eligibility.