Anonymous
Post 01/30/2024 14:08     Subject: GPAs - still confused
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Every school will either not report GPA on the CDS, or report it in the way that is most favorable to the school. This means, not every admitted student's GPA is listed (hence there new creative categories of admitted students).

Zero transparency. This is why people feel admissions is a crap shoot because you really don't know what any school's actual range is for reach/safety/target.


I just looked at a school in the Lehigh, Villanova, Colgate tier of school . . . . and for 22-23, something like 40% had a 3.75-3.99. 20% had 3.5-3.75. And almost 10% had below 3.5. I was pretty surprised by those numbers. And who is making up the below 3.5 gpa at a school like that??

(I do realize other factors apply depending on the school - legacy, athletics, ECs).

But I was expecting 90%+ at over 3.8 GPA. (And I am supposing these were UW grades).


Great news. And makes complete sense given rankings of those types of schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2024 13:57     Subject: GPAs - still confused
Anonymous wrote:Every school will either not report GPA on the CDS, or report it in the way that is most favorable to the school. This means, not every admitted student's GPA is listed (hence there new creative categories of admitted students).

Zero transparency. This is why people feel admissions is a crap shoot because you really don't know what any school's actual range is for reach/safety/target.


I just looked at a school in the Lehigh, Villanova, Colgate tier of school . . . . and for 22-23, something like 40% had a 3.75-3.99. 20% had 3.5-3.75. And almost 10% had below 3.5. I was pretty surprised by those numbers. And who is making up the below 3.5 gpa at a school like that??

(I do realize other factors apply depending on the school - legacy, athletics, ECs).

But I was expecting 90%+ at over 3.8 GPA. (And I am supposing these were UW grades).
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2024 12:45     Subject: GPAs - still confused
Every school will either not report GPA on the CDS, or report it in the way that is most favorable to the school. This means, not every admitted student's GPA is listed (hence there new creative categories of admitted students).

Zero transparency. This is why people feel admissions is a crap shoot because you really don't know what any school's actual range is for reach/safety/target.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2024 12:43     Subject: GPAs - still confused
Anonymous wrote:OP you have to put some guess work into the incoming freshman GPA.

If it is 3.8-4.0 it is likely unweighted, unless it is a low ranking college and then it could well be weighted.

If you look at the UC's you see they break down the average GPA for incoming freshman and its normally OVER 4.0 so you can assume it's all weighted. However each UC will have their own matrix for weighting. For instance, in-state kids get a bump for AP classes and Honors classes (tho there are fewer in the state schools in CA than in the DMV). Applicants outside of CA will get a bump only for their AP's not Honors classes and will be expected to also have a higher GPA overall.

So as you can see there are variations within variations. I would suggest putting a list of colleges of interest together and doing a deep dive - on their websites and via their admissions offices, to find out what you can.


The Ivies report 3.8-3.9 which are obviously unweighted. While some of our state publics report 4.4, etc. which are obviously weighted.

Schools can do whatever they want as far as recalculating it. The goal is to have the highest UW while also balancing rigorous courses because some schools will strip the 'added weight' and recalculate.