General question about GPA from a UK student

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the differences between GPA systems in the U.S. and the UK, highlighting that a 3.0 GPA in the U.S. is often viewed as average, while a 75% average in the UK is considered a decent grade. Participants note that achieving high grades, such as 100%, is more common in the U.S. due to grading normalization practices. The conversation also touches on the complexities of converting UK grades to U.S. equivalents, suggesting that a first-class degree in the UK (70% average) could correspond to a 4.0 GPA in the U.S. Additionally, the applicant discusses their experience applying for a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, emphasizing the requirement for U.S. citizenship or permanent residency for most programs, and mentions finding a single position available for international students, underscoring the competitive nature of these opportunities.
The thinker
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Hi,

I'm looking at the U.S for grad school and I've been reading talk about grade point average's, more specifically that around 3.0 is not considered particularly great.

I assume that a 3.0 GPA means a 75% average, over here 75% is decent A grade. A GPA of 3.5 (which I've read is good) would be ~88%, which is fantastic!

I'm just curious about what the difference is and why people need to score so much higher in the states? is it because you guys are allowed to take all sorts of (potentially easier) courses along with your major?
 
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It's not simple to convert from UK grade to US grades. You could look at it the other way around: over here, a first class degree (70% average) is the highest degree you can get, so should correspond to an A in the US, or a GPA of 4.0.

The fact is that it is way easier (or maybe one should say "more common") to obtain 100% grades in the US than it is in the UK. It's all to do with normalisation of grades.
 
cristo said:
It's not simple to convert from UK grade to US grades. You could look at it the other way around: over here, a first class degree (70% average) is the highest degree you can get, so should correspond to an A in the US, or a GPA of 4.0.

The fact is that it is way easier (or maybe one should say "more common") to obtain 100% grades in the US than it is in the UK. It's all to do with normalisation of grades.

I see! Thank you very much!

I am filling in my application for an REU in the US at the moment and was going to put down 3.0 for my GPA because my average mark is 75%. I'm glad I didn't!
 
Just to give you a heads up, the REU program is through the US government, and consequently most (if not all) of the programs require US citizenship or permanent resident status. Not to discourage you, but look closely at the requirements of any REU programs you're applying to.
 
Thanks for the heads up!

I have found one lone position at a single university for an international student. I'm not going to say where though because I don't want any more competition! haha
 

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