Calculating GPA
Since AP courses are awarded extra honors points, if a high school senior gets a D in an AP course, does that count as a C?
The university awards the bonus grade point for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and UC-approved honors courses in which a grade of C or higher is earned. An honors grade point is not assigned when the grade earned is a D.
Does the university accept academic renewal? Is it a good idea to pursue academic renewal, or does it look bad on a UC application? How would UC calculate the student's GPA?
The university does accept academic renewal, a process which provides for the removal of previously recorded substandard grades that do not reflect the student's abilities. If another college or university grants academic renewal and the corresponding grades are zeroed out, UC will calculate the GPA the same way as the institution sending the transcript. The information provided on the UC application must appear exactly as it does on the transcript.
UC considers academic renewal to be a very good idea for students who have a viable reason for using it. On the application, UC expects the student to explain why academic renewal was needed and how the student overcame the difficulties that led to it.
How does UC calculate grades earned on the trimester system? For example, what if a high school student has a C-plus in the first trimester, a B-minus in the second trimester and a C-minus in the third trimester?
Since UC does not count pluses and minuses in freshman applicants' GPAs, the grade would count as two-thirds C and one-third B — in other words, a bit higher than a regular C. On his or her application, the student should indicate that the school was on a trimester system, and UC will calculate the GPA based on that.
What courses are used to determine a student's GPA for admission to UC? If a student took geometry and biology in the ninth grade, does he use those grades in calculating his GPA?
In calculating the GPA, the student cannot include courses taken in the freshman year. Only "a-g" courses taken in the sophomore and junior years are used for the preliminary GPA. Please visit Doorways for more information.
How do you calculate an out-of-state applicant's GPA? Do you give extra credit for the school’s honors courses?
In calculating a nonresident's GPA, UC will grant honors weight for AP or IB courses only, but not for school-designated honors courses.
Does UC round up GPAs? For example, would a 3.35 be considered a 3.4?
No. UC does not round GPAs unless they go to three decimal spaces.
How does each campus calculate a C- in a transfer applicant's GPA?
It depends on the grade points indicated on the transcript. If the grade is a C- but listed as 2.0, it is counted as a C. Anything lower than a 2.0 would be a true C- and be calculated in the GPA as indicated on the transcript. Grades of C- are not eligible for IGETC. There are also major-specific requirements as indicated on ASSIST, which may dictate a specific grade required for an individual course. A C- may be acceptable for general transferability but not for some lower-division major preparation. For major-specific requirements at each campus, refer to the campus General Catalogs or the major's website.
(Please note: Pluses and minuses are not calculated into the GPA for freshman applicants.)
How does UC calculate the GPA with repeated courses?
For freshman applicants, if the exact course in which a D or F grade was originally earned is repeated and a grade of C or better is earned, the original grade will not be included in the GPA calculation. When a student seeks to clear the subject deficiency of a D or F grade through validation, both the original grade and the grade earned in the higher-level course will be used in calculating the GPA.
For transfer applicants, only the most recent grade is counted when calculating the GPA; degree credit for the course is given only once. Repetition of a course with an original grade of C or better is disregarded; the original grade is counted when calculating the GPA.
A student received a D in the second semester of an "a-g" approved course. She repeated the semester at another school and got an A. Will UC count the two successfully completed semesters toward the Subject Requirement? Which grades will be included in her GPA?
If the student has successfully repeated the second semester, she will get credit for both semesters. Since she did not repeat the exact course, the original D will be calculated in her GPA, along with the A. If she had repeated the same course at your school, the D would be thrown out.
If a student who has satisfied all his "a-g" requirements takes an extra math class and gets a D, will it be used in his GPA calculation?
Grades in all "a-g" courses, even those in excess of the UC eligibility requirements, must be reported on the application and are used in the GPA calculation.
A student took world history in the summer between ninth and 10th grades. Will the grade he earned in this course be included in his GPA calculation?
Yes. The summer school grade will be calculated in the GPA. The student should list any coursework taken in the summer after ninth grade under 10th-grade coursework on the UC application.
Are all grades earned during the summer after ninth grade counted in the eligibility GPA, even for courses taken to replace Ds or Fs in required ninth-grade courses, such as English 9?
Yes. The summer grades would still be included in the eligibility GPA, just as they would if the student repeated the required ninth-grade course in 10th or 11th grade.
If a student made up an "a-g" requirement during the summer after 11th grade, will the grade earned be calculated in the GPA?
Yes. The grade will be calculated in the GPA. The student should enter the course under 11th-grade coursework on the application.
Our high school gives only one grade for each class for the school year, as opposed to two semester grades. How will our students' GPAs be calculated by UC?
In Section 4 of the online application, the student should select "Full" for Term Type. The GPA will be calculated by adding up the grade points and then dividing by the total number of courses taken. In other words, if the student took five "a-g" courses per year in sophomore and junior years, you would add up the grade points received in each course and then divide by 10, the total number of courses the student took. (In determining eligibility, the University uses only sophomore- and junior-year grades.)
If a high school student takes a UC-transferable course at a community college and lists it on her UC application, will her grade in the course be included in her GPA, even if it is not listed on her high school transcript?
Students must report all academic coursework. If the course the student took is in an "a-g" subject area, the grade will be calculated in the GPA, and if the course is transferable, it will earn an extra grade point and college credit. Upon admission to UC, the student will be required to submit an official transcript from the community college in addition to her high school transcript.