Is Weighted or Unweighted GPA More Important?

Schools want you to challenge yourself. Admissions officers look for students who push their intellectual horizons, take demanding classes, and have rigorous course loads. As we mentioned earlier, at their core, universities are academic institutions. As such, they want students who are truly excited by academics, which can be communicated by the rigor of a student’s class schedule.

Additionally, colleges want students who enjoy learning for the sake of learning. They aren’t looking to admit those who only go through the motions and simply take what is absolutely required of them. They want students who are passionate about their education. Thus, colleges prefer students who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and take courses that they know will push them.

As such, a weighted GPA tends to be more important in the admissions process for the simple reason that they can help communicate how challenging a student’s course load is. A Weighted GPA demonstrate how many advanced classes you’ve taken, and your performance in them. An Unweighted GPA simply do not capture that aspect of your course load.

Weighted GPA is especially important for extremely competitive schools. For these kinds of universities, it is imperative that you take a rigorous course load with advanced classes if they are available to you. What’s more, you not only need to take these classes, but you must also do well in them.

Keep in mind that the middle 50% of the weighted GPAs for top schools is usually between 4.0 and 5.0, meaning that applicants to these schools are taking difficult classes and earning top grades. In order to compete in such a pool, you need to ensure that you are taking a healthy number of difficult classes and are succeeding in them.

Note: Generally, college admissions officers pay more attention to a student’s weighted GPA. This is especially true if you are aspiring to go to a top school. Additionally, for these kinds of universities, your weighted GPA should be between 4.0 and 5.0 in order to be competitive.

Although taking a challenging course load is important, you must also ensure that you can handle the classes you are taking without feeling overwhelmed. If you prioritize weighted class too much and overburden yourself to the degree that you are earning poor grades, this will hurt your overall application. (For example, a 4.0 with all B’s in weighted classes is typically viewed less favorably than a 4.0 with all A’s in unweighted classes.)

Colleges want to see that you are succeeding in the classes you are taking, and that you can handle a rigorous schedule. If you aren’t performing particularly well with a challenging course load, this signals to colleges that you may have some difficulty with courses at their university. Ultimately, you should opt to take the most challenging course load you can comfortably handle and perform well in.

For more information about the impact your grades have on your college applications, check out these CollegeVine posts:

Want to know how your GPA impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools? Our free Chancing Engine will not only help you predict your odds, but also let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and which aspects of your profile to improve. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to gain access to our Chancing Engine and get a jumpstart on your college strategy!