What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA and class rank?

Applying to College
1

<p>What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA and class rank?</p>

<p>How does this affect college admissions?</p>

2

<p>Unweighted GPA is a student’s GPA /4.0 or /100% (depending on the school’s scale) without any extra points assigned to more rigorous classes.</p>

<p>Weighted GPA is not a set scale, but the gist is that there are extra points assigned for more difficult courses (for example, at my school, AP and IB classes are weighted 6.0 for an A).</p>

<p>Class rank, too, is not a set measure. Some schools use weighted GPA to determine rank; others use unweighted; some provide only information regarding deciles; and still others provide no rank at all.</p>

<p>In colleges admissions, your unweighted GPA will be considered in light of your course rigor, but because weighted GPAs vary so greatly, those are not particularly useful in admissions. Rank is incredibly important in admissions, since school rigor varies (ie, a 3.6 at a top private may be very good, whereas a 3.6 as a shoddy public wouldn’t even break the top 25%).</p>