Not All 4.0s are Created Equal
- Lynn Hofstad
- Jun 9
- 6 min read
It's an objective fact that in recent decades GPAs of high school graduates have trended upward. Currently, the most common grade in both high school and colleges classes is an A. The causes and effects of grade inflation are constantly the subjects of discussion. Therefore it should be no surprise that the average GPA for high school graduates is on the rise. "About half of American teenagers now graduate high school with an A average, compared with fewer than 40 percent in 1998."*
Adding to the confusion, there often isn't a standard scale for GPAs. While comparing the GPAs of students from different high schools used to be straightforward, it has now become complicated. This is because some schools use weighted GPAs (which allow for scores higher than 4.0 for advanced classes) while others stick to unweighted GPAs (a standard 4.0 scale).**
So what does all this mean when submitting you college application.
Is a 4.0 GPA still impressive? Are all 4.0 GPAs the same?
While a 4.0 is still a significant accomplishment, not all 4.0s are equal.
GPA in Context
Consider two high school students from the same graduating class:
Student A graduates with a 4.0 GPA. They took all the required coursework, but didn't go beyond the basic requirements—they stopped taking math after taking Algebra II their junior year; they completed two years of a foreign language; their senior year was filled with lots of elective classes—ceramics, student store, yoga for fitness, etc.
Meanwhile...
Student B graduates with a 3.85 GPA. Their transcript is filled with difficult classes including multiple AP courses each year and a class in the "Big 5" (math, ELA, science, foreign language, and social sciences) taken every year of high school. They graduate with four years of foreign language under their belt and completed AP calculus their senior year. This student also used their elective classes to continue their cello playing in the school orchestra.
Simply looking at GPA doesn't tell the whole story. Student A clearly has the better GPA, but there is a lack of academic challenge or rigor. Student B has a lower GPA, but chose intentional challenge in their classes to demonstrate their academic ability.
Rigor is perhaps the best indicator of academic preparedness for college. This is why GPA is not evaluated in a vacuum. Admission committees will look at a GPA, yes, but they will evaluate it in context. How does it compare to that of the other students in your graduating class? What was the level of rigor in the classes you took? Do your grades get better or hold steady as the classes get more challenging or is there a downward grade trend on your transcript?
With many graduating classes having a large number of students with A-average GPAs, there is less differentiation in high school GPAs, leading colleges to emphasize the context and content of the GPA more. Opting for intentional challenge becomes more important than getting an A in a class that is too easy for you. The numerical value of the GPA is no longer taken at face value, but becomes the starting point for examining the context and content that led to that number.
Context
Several factors that affect the assessment of a GPA include the school context and grade trends.
School Context
When a college receives your college application, one of the items attached by your high school counselor is the school profile. The school profile gives the admissions committee insight into the context of the school. What is the demographic make-up of the student body? How many advanced classes are offered? What percentage of graduates continue on to higher education? All of this is important because it enables the admissions committee to evaluate your transcript in the context of your high school. It also gives the committee insight into the challenges presented in your specific context. This means that a student who took all three of the APs offered at their school won't be evaluated in the same way as a student who took two APs at a school that offered 45 different AP options.
Wondering what the school profile looks like for your high school? You can usually find it on your high school's counseling website or through a google search.
Upward grade trend:
Maybe you had a hard time adjusting to high school and your grades dipped freshman year, but they have consistently improved since then. That's a good thing. Colleges want to see that as classes get more difficult you rise to the occasion. Compare that with a student who starts strong, but as the classes get harder their grades get lower. A downward trend will often be evaluated by colleges as an indicator that the student can get good grades when the content is easy, but struggles as the academic content becomes more rigorous. Grade trends are taken into consideration during holistic admission review.
Rigor, Balance and the Whole Student
I have talked to families whose kids have started mentioning APs in early middle school, or are tracking what they take in 6th grade so they can maximize the amount of APs the student can take in high school. That is a lot of sustained pressure. Somehow the stress surrounding the college application process has crept from starting in late high school to beginning all the way back to middle school for some kids. I adamantly believe that creep is not helpful or healthy.
It is also something that colleges are beginning to notice. They want students of character and integrity; students with interests and passion. A student who has taken every difficult class and done well, but hasn't done anything outside of the classroom is a red flag. Becky Munsterer Sabky, former director of international admissions at Dartmouth, states in her book Valedictorians at the Gate:
"...students who participate in activities because they are interested might just become more interesting. They might become more curious community members. They might care about something other than resumes. And they might become better people, not just better college applicants."****
I have heard it said that the best way to become a good college student is to be good high school student—and this applies to the whole of the student. High school (and college) are important times of development—socially and emotionally, as well as academically. Don't choose a level of rigor that impedes that development. Rigor should be determined based on the individual student. Each student should choose what intentional challenge is for them as an individual. By that I mean, discern what is challenging, but at a sustainable, healthy level. If you are floundering in classes, that isn't an appropriate level of rigor. If you are doing well, but burning out or your mental health is suffering, that isn't an appropriate level of rigor. If you are getting all As, but bored because the classes are too easy, that isn't an appropriate level of rigor
Challenge yourself in a way that is healthy and enables you to continue to develop and grow outside of the classroom. Referring once more to Munsterer Sabky:
"Being smart is valued. But being decent is impressive. We should inspire our kids to be both straight A students and "the nicest kid the class." It will be wonderful if they can be both. But it only matters if they are the latter."****
This topic is the root of why I got into college consulting. High school should equip you for college, rather than being something you rush through just to reach graduation, with college as the ultimate reward. All too often this results in burnout or regret. The college search should be fun, but if it lasts for six years, it becomes a slog. Challenge yourself. Get excited about searching and preparing for college, but don't lose sight of the person you are becoming in the process. In the words of Ferris Bueller:
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
* Jeffrey Selingo, Who Gets In and Why, page 169.
** It's important to note that most colleges will recalculate submitted GPAs. For example a weighted GPA will be recalculated so that it can fairly be compared to a student with an unweighted GPA.
*** Becky Munsterer Sabky, Valedictorians at the Gate, page 96.
**** Becky Munsterer Sabky, Valedictorians at the Gate, page 209.
