Weighted vs. Unweighted GPA – And How Colleges Really Look at Them

Let’s talk GPA. It’s one of the most important parts of your college application, and also one of the most misunderstood.

Unweighted GPA: The classic

• Measured on a 4.0 scale
• Doesn’t consider course difficulty
• A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0 D = 1.0 F = 0.0

Weighted GPA: Accounting for difficulty

• Often uses a 5.0 scale
• Gives extra points for honors, AP, IB, or college-level classes
• So an A in AP Chemistry might be a 5.0 instead of 4.0

Sounds great, right? But here’s the thing: every school calculates GPAs differently. Some use 100-point scales, some cap weight, others don’t. So how do colleges make sense of it?

How colleges evaluate GPA

Most colleges actually recalculate your GPA using their own system. They do this to:

• Create a level playing field across different high schools
• Focus on core academic subjects (English, math, science, history, language)
• Evaluate grade trends and course rigor together

That’s why it’s not just about the number, it’s about how you got it. Taking challenging courses and doing well consistently often matters more than having the “perfect” GPA.

Let’s imagine..

You’re an admissions officer. You’re comparing two students, one with a 4.3 GPA and another with a 4.5. Initially, you might admit the 4.5 GPA student, right? But when you take a closer look at the two students’ applications, you see that the 4.3 student took more core APs in junior year and had stronger upward grade trends. This demonstrates improvement in the face of challenge. Now, it’s not so black and white. When colleges review transcripts, it’s these details that stand out.

A student with a 3.6 unweighted GPA and strong dual-enrollment credits can get into a competitive out-of-state school, thanks in part to the context provided in their counselor recommendation and application strategy. So talk to us! A number is not necessarily going to make or break you. Instead, it’s the story you show throughout the application. 

What can you do?

• Challenge yourself in your class choices, but don’t overload. 
• Understand your GPA, and determine what areas of your application you can strengthen. 
• Don’t stress over decimal points; focus on the bigger picture. 

How We Help

At Mulholland Prep, we help students interpret how their GPA will be seen, whether that means breaking down transcript patterns, figuring out what to emphasize in essays, or providing context through letters and school reports. If you’re confused about how your grades stack up, we can help clarify what matters most.