How do you get a 5.1 GPA from a 4.0 scale?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

I read this article where a high school senior supposedly received a 5.1 GPA from her school with a 4.0 scale. The only explanation it gave was because of “extrra credit”. How is this possible?

This is where I read it:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/high-school-senior-accepted-26-universities-offered-million/story?id=31718938

2

Some schools award 5 points for a honors course and 6 points for an AP/IB.

Overall, however, when someone throws out a GPA number, don’t use it to judge them without more information. There are so many differences in the ways school run- some schools award smiley faces on transcripts instead of letter grades.

3

^yes exactly. AP and honors classes at some high schools are weighted and are worth more points. So if a student gets an A in AP Chem for example, it is worth 5 points vs a student who gets an A in regular chemistry (worth 4 points). That’s how you can get a cumulative GPA over 4.0.