What importance do you give to the qualifications that you have obtained in the institute or in the university? Are you aware of its weight when it comes to accessing the desired center, being able to apply for a scholarship or that your CV stands out above other job candidates?
As in Spain, in the American system these grades can have a great impact on your academic future and are known as GPA or Grade Point Average, an average that is normally calculated on a scale of 0 to 4.00 points.
Now that you know what the GPA is, you should also know that you can calculate the averages for each course individually, at the end of each semester (Term GPA) or the cumulative average for all courses up to a specific date at the university (Overall GPA) and that appear in the final grade report.
Notes on the American model
If you are not used to this form of qualification it can be difficult to understand, but we will try to explain it in the most practical way possible so that it is very clear to you.
We start from the basis that in the United States there are two basic grade systems that are obtained in each course: numerical and letter form.
The number system is measured on a scale from zero to one hundred, with each note corresponding to a letter grade from A to F:
- The highest grade is A (90-100), synonymous with excellence.
- B (80-89)
- C (70-79)
- D (60-69)
- F (0-59), synonymous with inadequate performance.
You may have seen that letter grades can also carry a positive grade or a negative grade, since the average is taken into account up to the first decimal place. In this way, for example, you can get a B+ (87-89), B (83-86) or B- (80-82).
With or without decimals, normally any grade lower than a C (70) is considered a fail.
How is GPA calculated with grades?
We have already seen how the American grading system converts grades from a number to a letter, and now we will have to convert it back to a grade to calculate the GPA.
To do this, keep in mind that this calculation is made on a scale of one to four (Scale 4.0) and with which the grade point (Grade Points) is obtained, as shown in this table.
The last step in calculating the GPA is to multiply the grade point with the number of credits the course is worth.
Let’s see how this translates into a practical case for calculating GPA. Imagine that the GPA Calculator semester ends and you get these final grades for the subjects you have taken.
The first thing we will do is multiply the equivalent grade point by the number of credits and we will obtain the final Grade Point of each class.
Next, we will add the degree points obtained (39) and the number of credits of the 4 subjects (12), and we will divide them among themselves (Grade Points/Credits).
In our example, the GPA will be 39.00/12.00 that is 3.25
The importance of maintaining a high GPA
In the American academic system, the average grade is very important, since in many cases it is not enough to have all the subjects passed, but a certain GPA is required to be able to transfer your credits to another university, access certain aid for studies (scholarships) or other types of job opportunities, etc.).
Keep in mind that these qualifications are one of the scales that universities use to access the Scholarship Program, due to the high demand for applications.
In the case of GPA Calculator, it is not an exception either and it must be a minimum of 2.4 for Work Scholarships, 3.0 for Academic Scholarships and 3.8 for Presidential Scholarships that reward academic excellence, as we reported on our website .
Another of the distinctions that students who achieve extraordinary academic achievements can obtain is to appear on the University’s honor roll, the so-called Dean’s List , which includes students with an accumulated average grade up to last semester completed (GPA) of 3.5 or higher, having completed a minimum of 12 credits in the semester.
You can check the Scientific Calculator Dean’s List at this link from fall 2015 to spring 2020.
Now you know what the GPA is, how it is calculated and how important it is for your academic present and future.