GPA: A crash course in understanding
grade-point average
What’s a GPA?
2
- Your GPA is your grade point average
- Your GPA is an average calculated from the
grades you’ve earned in school
- Scores vary anywhere from a 0.0 to a 4.0 or
5.0—the higher your grade, the higher the
score
- Where can I find out my GPA?
- Students typically receive their updated GPA
every semester (or quarter) alongside their
grades
- Students also receive a cumulative GPA: a
running average of all semester grades since
Freshman year
Earn micro-scholarships for:
1. Maintaining a high GPA
2. Getting good grades
Why is your GPA important?
3
- To get into the college of your dreams
- Colleges are notoriously competitive, with
varying admissions rates that correlate to the
qualities their ideal applicants possess
- The average GPAs of applicants typically fall
within a certain range
- Having a low GPA can be detrimental to your
chances of going to a school you want to
attend
How do you calculate your GPA?
4
- Your GPA’s scale depends on your school
- High schools typically have a 4.0 scale (unweighted)
or a 5.0 scale (weighted)
- The formula for calculating GPA is
(grades*credits) / (total credits) = GPA
- Credit Hours
- In college, every one of your classes will be worth a
predetermined amount of credits based on the
difficulty of the course
- In high school, classes that last a full year are worth
1 credit while classes that last a semester are
worth a ½ credit
- The number of credits you need to graduate
depends on your state; generally schools require
somewhere between 19 - 24 credits
Weighted GPA VS. Unweighted GPA
5
- Weighted GPA
- Uses a 5.0 scale and takes into account how
difficult your classes are
- Used for calculating the grade points for
Honors/AP classes
- Not used by every school—ask your
counselor if your school uses weighted GPA
- Unweighted GPA
- Uses a 4.0 scale and does not take into
account how difficult your classes are
- Even though your unweighted GPA doesn’t
take difficulty into account, colleges still
prefer to see students take rigorous
courses
Let’s Practice!
6
- Try and calculate the cumulative unweighted
GPAs from the following students’ report cards
- The formula for calculating GPA is (grades*credits) /
(total credits) = GPA
Dwayne’s Report Card Aubrey’s Report Card
Solution
7
Dwayne’s Report Card Aubrey’s Report Card
Dwayne’s cumulative GPA for Freshman year is
3.57
● Dwayne’s first semester GPA is 3.28
● Dwayne’s second semester GPA is 3.85
Aubrey’s cumulative GPA for Freshman year is
2.56
● Aubrey’s first semester GPA is 2.62
● Aubrey’s second semester GPA is 2.5
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.0
3.0
2.7
2.0
3.3
3.0
3.0
3.0
4.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.7
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
= 4
= 4
= 1
= 1.85
= 2
= 1.85
= 1.5
= 1.85
= 1.35
= 2
6 credits
= 2
= 1.7
= 1.5
= 1.65
= 2
= 1.5
= 1
= 1
= 1.5
= 1.5
6 credits
8
Create a RaiseMe Account
1. Navigate to www.raise.me
2. Select “I’m a Student”
3. If applicable, sign up with your school email
address
4. Input your high school name and basic
information about yourself
5. On your Portfolio, scroll down to “Courses”
to input your Fall grades!
6. Follow colleges or universities to find out
how much you’ve earned!
After entering in your Core
Courses, RaiseMe will automatically
calculate your unweighted GPA!
9
Micro-Scholarships
1. Log in to your RaiseMe account
2. Add your fall semester grades to
your portfolio to earn $$
3. Students on RaiseMe need to
enter at least 15 credits of core
classes
10
RaiseMe for iPhone or iPad
1. Navigate to the App Store
2. Search for RaiseMe - College Scholarships
3. Download the app - it’s free!
4. Login with the email address and password of
your existing account
11
RaiseMe for iPhone or iPad
Adding your coursework
1. Select the “+” button at the bottom of your
profile
2. Input your Fall semester coursework!
3. Select the blue arrow on the right to adjust
any details about the course
12
RaiseMe for iPhone or iPad
Refer a friend
When you select “More” at the bottom of your
profile you have a number of options to
peruse. Select “Refer a friend” and they’ll
receive a text with a download link. If your
friends sign up you’ll get a $100 micro-
scholarship!
13
RaiseMe for iPhone or iPad
Notifications
Be sure to turn on push notifications to be
notified when:
1. It’s time to input new coursework
2. A college earning deadline is approaching
3. Fields on your portfolio are missing
4. Your earnings amount update
14
Reflection
● Using RaiseMe, search for a few colleges that you’re interested in.
Click on the “About University” tab and look under the admissions
category. Is your GPA currently good enough for you to be
accepted to that college?
● If your GPA is where it needs to be, what can you do to make sure
that you maintain or increase your GPA?
● If your GPA is NOT where it needs to be, what actions can you
take to start improving your GPA?
GPA: A crash course in understanding grade-point average

GPA: A crash course in understanding grade-point average

  • 1.
    GPA: A crashcourse in understanding grade-point average
  • 2.
    What’s a GPA? 2 -Your GPA is your grade point average - Your GPA is an average calculated from the grades you’ve earned in school - Scores vary anywhere from a 0.0 to a 4.0 or 5.0—the higher your grade, the higher the score - Where can I find out my GPA? - Students typically receive their updated GPA every semester (or quarter) alongside their grades - Students also receive a cumulative GPA: a running average of all semester grades since Freshman year Earn micro-scholarships for: 1. Maintaining a high GPA 2. Getting good grades
  • 3.
    Why is yourGPA important? 3 - To get into the college of your dreams - Colleges are notoriously competitive, with varying admissions rates that correlate to the qualities their ideal applicants possess - The average GPAs of applicants typically fall within a certain range - Having a low GPA can be detrimental to your chances of going to a school you want to attend
  • 4.
    How do youcalculate your GPA? 4 - Your GPA’s scale depends on your school - High schools typically have a 4.0 scale (unweighted) or a 5.0 scale (weighted) - The formula for calculating GPA is (grades*credits) / (total credits) = GPA - Credit Hours - In college, every one of your classes will be worth a predetermined amount of credits based on the difficulty of the course - In high school, classes that last a full year are worth 1 credit while classes that last a semester are worth a ½ credit - The number of credits you need to graduate depends on your state; generally schools require somewhere between 19 - 24 credits
  • 5.
    Weighted GPA VS.Unweighted GPA 5 - Weighted GPA - Uses a 5.0 scale and takes into account how difficult your classes are - Used for calculating the grade points for Honors/AP classes - Not used by every school—ask your counselor if your school uses weighted GPA - Unweighted GPA - Uses a 4.0 scale and does not take into account how difficult your classes are - Even though your unweighted GPA doesn’t take difficulty into account, colleges still prefer to see students take rigorous courses
  • 6.
    Let’s Practice! 6 - Tryand calculate the cumulative unweighted GPAs from the following students’ report cards - The formula for calculating GPA is (grades*credits) / (total credits) = GPA Dwayne’s Report Card Aubrey’s Report Card
  • 7.
    Solution 7 Dwayne’s Report CardAubrey’s Report Card Dwayne’s cumulative GPA for Freshman year is 3.57 ● Dwayne’s first semester GPA is 3.28 ● Dwayne’s second semester GPA is 3.85 Aubrey’s cumulative GPA for Freshman year is 2.56 ● Aubrey’s first semester GPA is 2.62 ● Aubrey’s second semester GPA is 2.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.0 3.0 2.7 2.0 3.3 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.7 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x = 4 = 4 = 1 = 1.85 = 2 = 1.85 = 1.5 = 1.85 = 1.35 = 2 6 credits = 2 = 1.7 = 1.5 = 1.65 = 2 = 1.5 = 1 = 1 = 1.5 = 1.5 6 credits
  • 8.
    8 Create a RaiseMeAccount 1. Navigate to www.raise.me 2. Select “I’m a Student” 3. If applicable, sign up with your school email address 4. Input your high school name and basic information about yourself 5. On your Portfolio, scroll down to “Courses” to input your Fall grades! 6. Follow colleges or universities to find out how much you’ve earned! After entering in your Core Courses, RaiseMe will automatically calculate your unweighted GPA!
  • 9.
    9 Micro-Scholarships 1. Log into your RaiseMe account 2. Add your fall semester grades to your portfolio to earn $$ 3. Students on RaiseMe need to enter at least 15 credits of core classes
  • 10.
    10 RaiseMe for iPhoneor iPad 1. Navigate to the App Store 2. Search for RaiseMe - College Scholarships 3. Download the app - it’s free! 4. Login with the email address and password of your existing account
  • 11.
    11 RaiseMe for iPhoneor iPad Adding your coursework 1. Select the “+” button at the bottom of your profile 2. Input your Fall semester coursework! 3. Select the blue arrow on the right to adjust any details about the course
  • 12.
    12 RaiseMe for iPhoneor iPad Refer a friend When you select “More” at the bottom of your profile you have a number of options to peruse. Select “Refer a friend” and they’ll receive a text with a download link. If your friends sign up you’ll get a $100 micro- scholarship!
  • 13.
    13 RaiseMe for iPhoneor iPad Notifications Be sure to turn on push notifications to be notified when: 1. It’s time to input new coursework 2. A college earning deadline is approaching 3. Fields on your portfolio are missing 4. Your earnings amount update
  • 14.
    14 Reflection ● Using RaiseMe,search for a few colleges that you’re interested in. Click on the “About University” tab and look under the admissions category. Is your GPA currently good enough for you to be accepted to that college? ● If your GPA is where it needs to be, what can you do to make sure that you maintain or increase your GPA? ● If your GPA is NOT where it needs to be, what actions can you take to start improving your GPA?