How to Correctly Fill in GPA Scale Reporting on the Common App

Every student applying to college has a GPA. But how is an admissions counselor supposed to differentiate between a student submitting an application with a 3.5 GPA and a 79.2? The second GPA sounds higher, and as if the student, thus, has better grades. But assuming the students’ high schools use different scales, that very well might not be the case. In fact, if student A’s high school used a 4.0 scale, while student B’s high school used a scale of 100, it would appear that student A had an A and B average in high school, as opposed to student B’s C average. It’s important for colleges to know what scale an applicant’s school uses so they can more easily understand what an applicant’s GPA means in regards to how well they did in their classes.

Most students are familiar with the 4.0 scale, where an A=4 points, a B=3 points, and so on. However, there are many high schools that use entirely different scales, where students can have GPAs of 7, 10, and even 100. Simply put, a GPA scale represents the highest number of grade points a student can earn from a single class at their high school.

This is a question many students have when wondering which GPA, and GPA scale, to report to colleges on the Common App, as plenty of schools calculate both a student’s weighted and unweighted GPA. The truth is, whichever one you choose to enter isn’t going to make or break your application; when admissions counselors view your transcript, they’ll be able to see both, as well as what classes you took, what classes you were able to take (through your school profile provided by your counselor), and what grades you earned in each of them. However, in order to create the best first impression possible, students should lead by reporting whichever GPA reflects the most positively on them. If you’re a student who took many high level weighted AP, honors, or dual enrollment classes in high school, you’ll probably be better off showcasing your schedule’s rigor by reporting a weighted GPA (very often on a 5.0 scale). If you generally took unweighted or traditional classes, however, reporting an unweighted GPA (usually on a 4.0 scale) will probably showcase your strengths better than a weighted one.

Related: Explaining the 7 Sections of the Common App

Ultimately, the only people who is going to know what GPA scale your specific school uses are your school counselors and teachers. If you have any doubt at all about what GPA scale you should report for your school, don’t hesitate to send them an email and ask, or even better, try and find your school profile! School profiles are put together by your school’s administration and are sent by counselors to all universities their students apply to. A school profile will have information such as your school’s GPA scale, number of students, curriculum requirements, the classes that were available at your school, SAT/ACT ranges, student demographic and income information, and more. Frequently students can find these by googling the name of their high school, the current year, and the term “school profile.” If this isn’t publicly available, however, many counselors will be happy to provide you with a copy! It can be useful not only to ensure you’re reporting the correct GPA scale, but to see what information your admissions officers will have about your high school when reading your application. Filling out the Common Application can seem overwhelming at first, but as long as you ask questions, do your research, and use the resources in your school and community, you’ll feel like an expert in no time.