How do most colleges measure GPA?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around how different colleges and universities measure GPA, focusing on grading scales, the impact of plus/minus systems, and the implications for students transferring between institutions. Participants share their own experiences and grading systems, highlighting the variability in GPA calculations across different educational contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire whether all colleges measure an A as less than a 4.0 GPA points, suggesting variability in grading systems.
  • One participant describes their unweighted grading scale where an A is 4.0, A- is 3.7, and so on, indicating a lack of A+ in their system.
  • Another participant mentions that colleges with a +/- system treat grades as fractional points, arguing that it would be illogical to equate an A and an A-.
  • Several participants share their own grading systems, with one noting a university that gives A+ as equivalent to 4.3 GPA.
  • Concerns are raised about the difficulty of achieving high grades in different educational contexts, particularly when comparing to US standards.
  • One participant expresses confusion about how their GPA will be evaluated by US colleges, questioning whether their current grading scale will be weighted differently.
  • Discussion includes the idea that most schools do not count transfer credits toward GPA due to differing grading systems.
  • Some participants discuss the relevance of GPA in job applications and graduate school admissions, noting that while it may matter initially, experience becomes more important over time.
  • Different institutions have unique approaches to grading, with some using only pluses and others incorporating minuses, leading to varied GPA outcomes.
  • One participant mentions that Canadian universities generally follow a GPA system similar to that of US institutions, though not universally identical.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on GPA measurement, with no consensus on a single grading system. There are multiple competing perspectives on how grades are assigned and their implications for students, particularly those transferring between different educational systems.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in understanding GPA equivalencies due to differing grading scales and systems, as well as the potential for confusion when transferring between institutions with varying standards.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering transferring to colleges in the US, educators interested in grading practices, and individuals curious about the implications of GPA on academic and career opportunities.

Euphoriet
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Do all collegs measure an -A as less than a 4.0 (gpa points)?
 
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This is how it's scored where I'm at:

A ... 4
A- ...3.7
B+ ...3.3
B ...3.0
B- ...2.7
C+...2.3
C...2.0

This is "unweighted" - you can't get higher than a 4.0. So much for my A plusses! :frown:
 
Last edited:
what college is this?
 
All colleges that have a +/- system obviously count them as fractional points. It wouldn't make any sense to treat an A and an A- the same.

Also notice that as soon as a school introduces a +/- system, grades instantly all go down, since there is no A+. :mad:

- Warren
 
Euphoriet said:
what college is this?

That's UCLA's scoring system, and a lot of the California community colleges use it also.
 
In my Uni it works like this

75+ = A
70-75 = B
60-69 = c
50-59= D
<50 is a fail. :mad:

I'm applying to study in US next year and they said to enroll I would need a GPA of 3.5. Wots that an average of? 70%??
 
It's very difficult to associate an average with a grade in the US. Many classes adopt the convention that 90%+ is an A, 80-89% a B, and so on, but many professors choose to score their students differently.

- Warren
 
Oh my hat... a 90 + is an A. I don't stand a chance in hell. its bloody hard to get abouve 70 in my unigersity especially in the courses that i am doing. How hard is it to get into berkley?
 
Our grading system breaks down like this:
4.0 ... 100% - 85% ... A
3.7 ... 84% - 80% ... A-
3.3 ... 79% - 75% ... B+
3.0 ... 74% - 70% ... B
2.7 ... 69% - 65% ... B-
2.3 ... 65% - 60% ... C+
2.0 ... 59% - 55% ... C
1.0 ... 54% - 50% ... D
0 ... <50% ... F

Though the other university about 12 blocks from us gives out A+ as well. It's equivalent to a 95%+ and has a GPA of 4.3
 
  • #10
Here's some data for you, Moo:
http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/transfer.asp
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #11
Thanx but i still don't get wot my average in % should be. Will they weight it according to wot my Uni gives me or accrding to their own. I mean if a 75% is an A at wits would UCB consider it as a B??... I dunno. U r a star Math_is _hard!
 
  • #12
Most schools don't count transfer credits toward your GPA anyway, particularly because of situations like this, where the grading systems are so different.

- Warren
 
  • #13
chroot said:
Most schools don't count transfer credits toward your GPA anyway, particularly because of situations like this, where the grading systems are so different.

- Warren

true. Once you transfer into UCLA, you start all aver again with your G.P.A.

BTW: Moo, I think only an admissions counselor could help you for sure. If someone at your school doesn't know, you'll have to contact Berkeley. You can try Berkeley's Services for International Students and Scholars by emailing
siss@uclink.berkeley.edu
 
  • #14
I was wondering the real point for GPA was after high school.. I mean.. if you get a 2 as opposed to a 4.3 or w/e... how will that affect you?

Will jobs look at your gpa?...
 
  • #15
Generally, companies will look at your GPA when you're fresh out of college. As you gain experience, they begin to worry more about your past experience, rather than your GPA.

Graduate schools, however, are pretty much a no-go if you have a bad GPA. If you don't take undergraduate school seriously, you'll automatically close a lot of doors to higher education.

- Warren
 
  • #16
My school doesn't use minuses, only pluses. They say they do this because they think that minuses hurt our grades instead of help them.

A = 4.0
B+ = 3.5
B = 3.0
C+ = 2.5
C = 2.0
D+ = 1.5
D = 1.0
F = 0.0
 
  • #17
Please post what school you are posting the scale for, thanks.
 
  • #18
Sorry, I didn't realize that was required. Univerisity of South Carolina - Aiken. I just know y'all have heard of it.
 
  • #19
F = 10.0 LOL. w00h00
 
  • #20
Chrono said:
My school doesn't use minuses, only pluses. They say they do this because they think that minuses hurt our grades instead of help them.

A = 4.0
B+ = 3.5
B = 3.0
C+ = 2.5
C = 2.0
D+ = 1.5
D = 1.0
F = 0.0

Same for us here...WSU in Pullman, WA
 
  • #21
Arkansas grading system:
90+ A 4.0GPA
80+ B 3.0GPA
70+ C 2.0GPA
60+ D 1.0GPA
60- F 00000
How simple is that, no A+ or C-. lol!
 
  • #22
Canada gives GPAs, referring to Time Traveler? All I know is that GPAs are not universal. I thought that only US used this system?
 
  • #23
I wanted to reply to this earlier but I was caught up in another science forum. The GPA system I follow (posted on the previous page) is from McGill University in Montreal.

To put it as a generality, just about every university in Canada uses the GPA system like our US conterparts. As far as I can tell, I think the majority of all universities in both countries follows a GPA system. They may not be exactly the same but the idea is still there.
 
  • #24
Time Traveler said:
I wanted to reply to this earlier but I was caught up in another science forum.

And what forum was that?
 
  • #25
  • #26
whoa.. i have never even seen above a 4.0... i don't think my school has A+'s
 

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