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Whether you’re applying for admission to a recognized university or want to secure a high-paying job, it’s your academic record that is the key factor in evaluating your selection.
Different countries use different methods to measure students’ performance. In America, the Grade Point Average (GPA) is the measure that depicts how well a student has done at different levels of education.
It becomes important to maintain a high GPA when you’re planning to get into schools with high academic standards such as Harvard and Stanford. It’s worth noting that 4.0 is usually the highest GPA one can earn.
Many people would wonder, “What’s the difference between a 3.8 GPA and a 4.0 GPA?”
The difference between both the GPA scores is that a 3.8 GPA represents 90 to 92 percent scores in all subjects, while both A and A+ letter grades are equivalent to a 4.0 GPA.
The article discusses different GPA scores as well as your queries about applying for admission to Harvard and increasing your chances. So, let’s get into it!
You’ve probably seen many college or university students talk about GPA, which might have left you wondering what GPA is.
GPA stands for Grade Point Average. It is the measure of the average grade you have attained during the course of your degree.
It’s important to note that a student who has taken an A grade in all subjects gets a 4.0 GPA. Furthermore, it’s essential to maintain a GPA above 3.5 in most educational institutions to keep a scholarship.
The important point about GPA is that some universities calculate it on a scale of 4, while some calculate it on a scale of 5. In this blog post, I’ll be teaching you to calculate it on a scale of 4.
Courses | Credit Hours | Letter Grade | Points | Quality Points |
Game Theory | 3 | A- | 3.7 | 11.1 |
Econometrics | 3 | B | 3.0 | 9 |
Regional Economics | 3 | A | 4.0 | 8 |
General Equilibrium and Welfare Economics | 3 | C | 2.0 | 6 |
Applied Economics | 3 | B | 3.00 | 9 |
Total | 15 | 43.1 |
QP=Credit Hours×Points
Look at this example:
Quality Points=43.1
Total credit hours=15
GPA=Quality points/Total credit hours
=43.1/15
=2.87
Percentage | Grade | GPA |
Below 60 | F | 0.0 |
60-66 | D | 1.0 |
67-69 | D+ | 1.3 |
70-72 | C- | 1.7 |
73-76 | C | 2.0 |
77-79 | C+ | 2.3 |
80-82 | B- | 2.7 |
83-86 | B | 3.0 |
87-89 | B+ | 3.3 |
90-92 | A- | 3.7 |
93-96 | A | 4.0 |
97-100 | A+ | 4.0 |
The most common question that comes across most students’ brains is whether Harvard accepts a student with a 3.8 GPA or not. Let me tell you, there are a lot of other factors than GPA that Harvard counts on while evaluating selection.
Even a 4.0 GPA doesn’t guarantee your spot at Harvard. Interestingly, your SAT score and Personal Statement hold as much importance as your GPA. Your selection is also dependent on how keen you are about curricular activities (music and arts) other than academics.
Here’s the list of other factors that play a huge part in getting you into Harvard or any other college:
A student with a 3.6 GPA will be more likely to get into college than one with a 4.0 GPA if he/she shows more potential. Additionally, getting admission into Harvard is more dependent on the mood of your admission counselor.
Therefore, you should never rely on one college. Make sure to keep three to four colleges on your application list.
The difference between a 3.8 and 4.0 GPA is 0.2 grade points. A high GPA indicates that a student is more likely to excel academically than others.
One has to get an A and an A+ in all the courses to obtain a 4.0 GPA. It’s because they have a better understanding of every subject.
A 3.8 GPA is also a good score because not every student is equally interested in all subjects. If you have one or two As, then you are probably going to end up with a 3.8 GPA, which is equally awesome as a 4.0.
What matters is that you must obtain an A or A+ grade in a subject that you want to major in. For instance, if you intend to major in chemistry, in this scenario, your grade in this particular subject will count the most.
Here’s how you can get a 4.0 GPA:
Do you want to know any advice? Watch this video.
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