What is GPA?
- GPA is an abbreviation for Grade Point Average.
- Cumulative GPA is the average of a student's final grades in all courses taken for high school credit.
- Cumulative GPA is based on number of credits earned and final grades in classes.
- When a student passes a class, the student earns one credit in most cases. Some classes, such as those offered at the Career and Technical Center, allow students to earn more than one credit per class.
- Cumulative GPA includes Algebra I, Spanish I, and French I classes which some students take as eighth graders for high school credit.
In figuring cumulative GPA, final letter grades in courses carry the following point values.
- Each "A" counts 4 points.
- Each "B" counts 3 points.
- Each "C" counts 2 points.
- Each "D" counts 1 point.
- Each "F" counts 0 points.
Certain honors courses have weighted grades. In figuring cumulative GPA for weighted courses, final letter grades in weighted courses carry the following point values.
- Each weighted "A" counts 5 points.
- Each weighted "B" counts 4 points.
- Each weighted "C" counts 3 points.
- Each weighted "D" counts 2 points.
- Each weighted "F" counts 0 points.
- Consider the following example. A student earns 28 credits by the end of first semester of the senior year. The student's final grades result in the following: 14 A's, 10 B's, 2 C's, 1 D, 1 F. For the purpose of this example, the student does not have any weighted grades.
- Cumulative GPA is then figured in the following manner.
- 14 (number of credits with a grade of A) X 4 (points per A) = 56
- 10 (number of credits with a grade of B) X 3 (points per B) = 30
- 2 (number of credits with a grade of C) X 2 (points per C) = 4
- 1 (number of credits with a grade of D) X 1 (point per D) = 1
- 1 (number of credits with a grade of F) X 0 (points per F) = 0
- Total = 91 Quality Points Earned Divided By 28 Total Credits = Cumulative GPA of 3.25
Why is GPA important?
- Colleges consider GPA as one of the main determining factors for college admissions, along with difficulty of high school course selections and scores on SAT and/or ACT tests. GPA is also a factor in determining eligibility for merit scholarships and eligibility for playing college sports.
How is class rank determined?
- Class rank is based on cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the end of first semester of the senior year. The student with the highest GPA is ranked #1 in the class.
How do I achieve my best class rank?
- To achieve maximum GPA and class rank, students should make straight A's and take as many weighted classes as possible.
- Students who have a 4.0 GPA are not usually ranked #1 in the class. Students who are ranked at the top of the class almost always have GPA's higher than 4.0.
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