<p>Fatherofm - I will not take a guess as to why other schools choose to enter a figure in that field while UVa does not. I am not, nor is anyone else posting here, with the exception of Dean J, a representative of the UVa admissions office. What I will offer is GPA is a number that can mean many different things at different schools. Dean J has many times here expressed concern over comparing GPA as without context it is meaningless. (back to my pondering now) Each school has the option to have a different grading scale, different weighting for APs or honors classes, and different rules as to how many APs are offered, who may take them and when. Not all 3.9’s are created equal. </p>
<p>Let’s look at student A who has a 3.9 with 5APs, 4 honors, but their school offers no weighting on any advanced classes; only 5APs are offered; an A is 94-100. Student B also has a 3.9 with 5APs, 4 honors; 10APs offered; an A is 90-100; AP’s are weighted 1.0 on a 4pt scale. Student C has a 3.9 with 5APs, 4 honors; 17AP’s offered; an A is 90-100; AP’s are weighted 2.0 on a 4pt scale and honors are weighted 0.5 . Obviously these students have taken advantage of what was offered at their school at a different level and the 3.9 they earned means very different things based on not only the grading scale but the weighting that was applied. This is a simple look at it. But you get my point.</p>
<p>GPA without context is meaningless. The transcript that admissions receives is accompanied by that profile giving context.</p>