Calculating GPA

[Wjs1107]

I can respect that theory re: AI potentially reducing the variety of human interpretations, provided they really do invest in training and testing the AI regularly.

It reminds me of applying for jobs these days—so much attention is now given to capturing AI’s attention with certain words or phrases, even stuff like inserting white text that “instructs” AI to pick that resume (which seems silly to me). I wonder if that’s what kids will be focused on in the next few years.

[EMH]

I am not so much concentrating on selective colleges, but chasing merit aid. I appreciate colleges that lay out how much merit aid you should expect based on GPA, when you don’t know how to calculate GPA, it is very frustrating!

[Mwfan1921]

@EMH

I appreciate colleges that lay out how much merit aid you should expect based on GPA, when you don’t know how to calculate GPA, it is very frustrating!

It is appropriate for your student to contact their AO at these colleges and ask how they are calculating GPA for the merit grid/award chart. (First, make sure the website doesn’t spell it out.)

Since many merit giving schools don’t have a merit grid, merit hunters often have to send in more apps on average, because affordability isn’t known ahead of time. Some NPCs do include merit aid, so run those. Some schools will also do merit/financial aid pre-reads, so something else to check on.

Financial Pre-reads, including merit + merit ED

This post is editable. Click the icon in bottom right corner and add your school. After reading another thread, I became curious about colleges offering financial pre-reads to students before they apply, and that some colleges apparently offer a pre-read including merit aid. This seems very sensible, as it would probably stop a lot of students from applying to colleges they can’t afford, while also encouraging other students to apply. I’m not sure though why people wouldn’t just use the NPC, barring those from self-employed families or other unusual circumstances. How does this process work, and more importantly, which colleges offer Financial pre-reads, especially if they include merit aid? Let’s start a list of colleges that officially and unofficially offer financial pre-reads and/or merit aid ED, in alphabetical order. Please add a college to this list by clicking the pencil icon, bottom right corner. EDIT: Not checked for accuracy. Centre College ($5k ED stackable m…

It looks like you’ve received some good college suggestions on your chance me thread.

[NiceUnparticularMan]

@Mwfan1921

It is appropriate for your student to contact their AO at these colleges and ask how they are calculating GPA for the merit grid/award chart. (First, make sure the website doesn’t spell it out.)

I just want to underscore this advice. I do think you need to see what instructions are already available first. But if they don’t cover all your questions, then politely reaching out to Admissions and explaining your question is fine, as answering questions like that is part of their job. And in fact your interest reflects well on you.

[tsbna44]

I told you how - and lots of colleges have auto merit.

[ucbalumnus]

@NiceUnparticularMan

So the way Virginia Tech is doing things, they are basically replacing one of the standard human readers with an AI, which means that basically everyone gets one reader who is the same–the AI. And then if the AI and your human reader disagree, another human reader basically breaks the tie.

An AI reader can certainly have biases (intended or unintended), although it may apply such biases more consistently than a human reader may apply them.

[ucbalumnus]

@Mwfan1921

I know you are focused on selective colleges, but it would so interesting to see how the CSUs’ software does transcript evals. They’ve used software to fully evaluate apps for decades (not sure it’s technically AI or not), and humans don’t touch the vast majority of apps.

CSUs are selective, since they are not open admission.

CSUs do not normally evaluate transcripts of applicants, since applicants enter their courses and grades into the application (SRAR-like). So no transcript interpretation or “AI” is necessary, and CSU can recalculate GPA directly from the courses and grades listed in the application.

[Wjs1107]

Good point. Human readers are equipped to understand and evaluate nuances in a way AI readers may not be trained to pick up.

[ucbalumnus]

@EMH

I appreciate colleges that lay out how much merit aid you should expect based on GPA, when you don’t know how to calculate GPA, it is very frustrating!

Sometimes, the college specifies how GPA is used for automatic merit, i.e. whether it recalculates (and unweighted or weighted), takes it at face value from the high school transcript, or whatever. You may need to look on each college’s web site (and ask directly if it is not specified).

[EMH]

@Financial Pre-reads

I’m not sure though why people wouldn’t just use the NPC, barring those from self-employed families or other unusual circumstances. How does this process work, and more importantly, which colleges offer Financial pre-reads, especially if they include merit aid? Let’s start a list of colleges that officially and unofficially offer financial pre-reads and/or merit aid ED, in alph

Thank you for this advice! I hadn’t thought of financial pre-reads. I will take a look at this list!

[NiceUnparticularMan]

@ucbalumnus

although it may apply such biases more consistently than a human reader may apply them

In fact a cynical person might suggest this is precisely the goal, for the application “readers” to more consistently have the same biases as the institution itself.

Of course they probably would call those something like “priorities” instead of biases . . . .