What to put on applications when your school uses a different scale

Start with your school's scale

Applications generally ask for the GPA and scale as your school reports them. If your school uses 5.0, 10, 20 or 100, record that scale rather than converting it yourself. Read the instructions on the form, and ask your counselor if you are unsure.

Colleges recalculate

College Board explains that colleges may recalculate GPA based on their own criteria, and that many colleges ask you to report your actual grades, either on the Common App or on the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR), so they can recalculate using their own scale. Your reported grades therefore matter more than a number you converted, and the grades should match your transcript line for line.

What a converter is for

An estimate helps you place your grades against college profiles that are published on a 4.0 scale. It is not something to enter in place of the school's own figure, unless the application specifically asks for a converted value.

A short checklist

Before you submit, check these points.

• Does the application ask for your school's scale or a 4.0 value?
• Is your GPA weighted or unweighted, and does the form ask which?
• Do the grades you report match your transcript exactly?
• Does the college explain how it evaluates GPA on its admissions pages?

When in doubt, ask

Admissions offices answer questions about transcripts and scales all the time. A short email that names your school's scale is more reliable than guessing which number a college prefers. Keep the reply, since policies can change from one admissions cycle to the next and you may want to show what you were told.