A gauge for high school students’ academic success is their grade point average or GPA score. It is a factor that is prioritized in class ranking, scholarship eligibility, college admissions, etc. It represents a student’s academic work during their high school education. It is claimed that colleges find GPA more projecting than the standard test scores. It is a potent barometer of success.
GPA gets calculated differently in many schools and colleges. Therefore, it is hard to determine where you failed in assessment with other applicants. The first step is to learn how to calculate GPA.
Fortunately, you can use a free high school GPA calculator available online. This tool will help you understand how you measure up in the admission process in comparison to other applicants. However, the colleges evaluate your academic transcripts more holistically. It includes curriculum rigor, high school difficulty, class performance, and more.
In the calculator, type course name [class title like the US. History or English], letter grade received when the course ended, credits in numerical value [if your school doesn’t assign credits to use 1] and course type [AP or Honors].
Ensure that the latest transcript is used to calculate the GPA. A letter grade will be available in the box. The letter grading system starts from A+ to F [exception of E]. [E is not assigned in basically every school as it was thought to be regarded as ‘Excellent’, so was chosen as the last one as ‘Failure’]
How to convert letter grading to a numerical scale?
Many colleges use a numerical scaling system. However, you can use a free GPA converter and find your score on any scale.
Steps for using GPA converter
- Enter GPA from the latest report card or transcript.
- Select the school’s GPA scale.
- Choose your preferred GPA scale.
- View your transformed GPA.
What does the 4.0 GPA scale represent?
If your school uses a letter grading system, it is necessary to get them converted to a scaling system. Today, a 4.0 scale is used in the majority of colleges to evaluate your high school academic performance. It helps them get an idea of where one applicant stands in comparison to another. GPA is a factor they prioritize in giving admissions.
The 4.0 scale is commonly applied, where it represents an A [90-100]. It is a highest grade, while with every letter represents one point lower like B = 3.0 [80-89], C = 2.0 [70-79], D = 1.0 [60-69] and F = 0.0 [below 60].
Weighted versus unweighted GPA
An unweighted GPA means the associated courses rigor is not taken into account. Honors or AP courses are rigorous, so credits get added to the GPA scale. For example, if your GPA is 4.0 add a fraction for the A in AP course and you reach 5.0.
Credit scores value needs to be multiplied
Multiply each weighted grade with credit numbers of the specific course. For example, your school may assign 4 for English and 2 for Art. In case, your school does not allocate credit values to use default value 1.
Division to get final GPA
Now, divide the total by total credit number you earned, which is your hard-earned GPA. An example – You calculated a 5.0 score in the above example now add your credits assigned.
5.0 x 4 credits + 4.5 x 3 credits + 4.1 X 4 credits + 4.2 X 2 credits =
20 + 13.5 + 16.4 + 8.4 = 58.3
58.3/4+3+4+2 = 4.48……This is your final GPA!
Mike Kanellis is a digital marketer. He has since worked as a freelance SEO & blogger. In his free time, Jack enjoys playing guitar & singing, cooking vegan food and photography.
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