Weighted Grades






by Jonas Hanks


High schools and colleges look at GPA as one of the key determinants of admission and scholarship selection. Many of them use weighted grades to separate the students with difficult course schedules from those who took easier classes. The weighted GPA score formula requires the following information: a weighted grade scale, number of credits, and letter grades received for each class.

There are many different types of weighted GPA systems in use. They all implement a version of a weighted grade scale to offset the grades earned for more difficult classes. As such, students who take AP and honors classes will have a high school weighted GPA that is higher than their non-weighted GPA.

The most important part of a weighted grading system is the grading scale. The most common is the 5.0 weighted grade scale. This is very similar to a 4.0 grading scale. The only exception is that advanced classes (usually AP and honors classes) are given an extra grade point. These additional weighted GPA points help boost the overall average and thereby reward students for taking difficult courses. There are many other scales used that give additional credit to more difficult courses. It is important to check with your high school registrar or university admissions committee to find out which weighted grade scale is to be used.

The weighted GPA formula is the same as a non-weighted GPA, except for the scale. Once you award the proper number of weighted grade points for each course, you can simply multiply the number of credits by the grade points. Then sum the results and divide the total by the aggregate number of credits taken. This results in the student's weighted GPA in high school or college.

This approach outlines the way to calculate weighted grade point average for college. You can boost your weighted grades by taking more difficult classes in high school. Just be careful to take classes in which you can still get good grades or you will lose the benefit of the weighted GPA system. These higher grades improve your chances of landing admission to college and can possibly lead to a scholarship, as well.




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