e admissions officers to determine your academic performance, knowing which GPA scale your school uses is important. It helps you assess the value of advanced courses and determine how well you’ll need to do in them to significantly boost your GPA. Your GPA can even be used to determine your eligibility for scholarships and grants. This number is critical to your college success!
That being said, it’s completely normal if you need to boost your GPA and I’m going to share with you some strategies about how you can do just that.
Be Strategic with Your Class Choices
Let’s say math isn’t your best subject, you’re taking AP Calculus, and your grade is awful. You have two options in this scenario.
Work with a Tutor Constantly
If you’re determined to kick your problematic class in the butt then this is a good option for you. It requires a lot of work on your part and finding the right tutor in person or online that will help you grasp concepts and personalize your sessions to help you improve. This is especially helpful if you’re nervous about asking your teacher for help or if you’re struggling even after doing so.
Drop the Class ASAP
This isn’t usually my first choice, but if it’s only class standing between you and that high GPA for college admissions, cut your losses for the sake of your mental health. And that’s okay! If it’s the only class you’re struggling with or you’ve seen no improvement with tutoring, switching to an easier class does two things. One, it takes the pressure of you and lessens your stress level. Two, it removes the burden on your GPA so that whatever class you take in its place is an opportunity for you to do better.
Do Better in Your Weighted Classes
Because your high school might offer a GPA boost when you take honors, AP, and IB classes, focusing your attention on them improves your GPA. That’s because these classes are worth more and doing better in them can help offset any blows your GPA might be taking while you straighten out your problematic class.
Focus on Your Standardized Tests
And while these strategies are great, if all else fails you can focus on your standardized tests. This is especially helpful, because the ACT and SAT are designed to show colleges if you’re ready to handle their material or not. And if you do well on them, it can help offset any dips in your GPA, because it shows you’ve got this under control.
Having the right GPA is critical to your success in college and being admitted to the schools you’re applying to. Knowing the difference between the two GPA scales and how you can use them to improve your GPA is good information to have in your back pocket while you’re in high school.
Have more questions about your GPA? Leave them in the comment section below. If you even want to be more prepared holistically in your college admissions, we highly recommend visiting Positive Health Wellness.