This is another common question I get from parents. Some of us have heard of 4.0 grade point averages or even 4.2s, but the 4.78 grade point average is new to us. Here is how it works:
1. Anything above a 4.0 is a weighted grade point average.
The best grade you can get in a class is an “A.” An “A” is worth four quality points. All “A” grades would equal a 4.0 unweighted gpa. Anything above a 4.0 is a weighted gpa.
2. Schools and school districts add weight to Honors, Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, IB, and AICE classes.
For many schools and school districts, Honors classes have a weight of .5 and Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, IB, and AICE have a weight of 1.0. Therefore, an “A” in Honors World History = a 4.5 quality points. An “A” in Advanced Placement World History = a 5.0 quality points. If a student earns “A” grades in a high number of AP, DE, IB or AICE classes, their gpa can get close to 5.0. However, there are some classes that don’t have Honors or AP options, so great students have to settle for some 4.0 “A” grades (much to the dismay of their parents).
3. Some schools and school districts does NOT equal all schools and school districts.
There are private schools that use a 4.5 scale or weight Honors as 1.0 and AP as 2.0. In cases like this, a grade point average could surpass a 5.0!
Most of us know that a 4.78 gpa is very good. We don’t really know how good it is. A 4.78 at School A might not equal a 4.78 at School B. School A may use a different scale or offer more college level classes than School B. Could you and I open a school tomorrow and start using an 8.0 grade point average scale? Yes, we could. In fact, Eight Point O High School isn’t a bad name.
4. Colleges are not fooled by any of this.
Colleges calculate their own grade point averages to level the playing field. In Florida, several schools (including UF and FSU) have students enter their classes and grades and then have their system weight those classes. The student with a 4.78 at their public or private high school will end up with a different grade point average at UF or FSU.
As a high school student of yesteryear, I had the option of Honors or Regular. My school did not offer AP or Dual Enrollment classes (at least as far as I knew – I did know smart people, by the way). School has changed. Some students and parents worry greatly about the “weight” of classes. Many outstanding students in Alachua County, for example, earn credit in Spanish I in middle school. They don’t have to take that credit to high school with them. Some elect not to do so, because the “A” grade is not weighted. They don’t want the unweighted “A.” You know you are a good student when “A” grades hurt your overall grade point average.
Some students and parents take this to a whole different level by taking additional Advanced Placement classes through Florida Virtual School in an effort to pass their peers in class rank. When you get anywhere close to this point, it is time to sit down with an Educational Consultant.
Student First Educational Consultanting can help you understand all of this and make a plan for success. Contact us at mike@studentfirsteducation.com if you have questions.
