Academics in the high school are extremely competitive. Many students take challenging classes and do not rest until they have the highest grades possible. This desire to do the best that they can creates a stressful environment for students. The reward for their hard work should come in the form of a weighted grade point average.

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Currently, the high school has a weighted grade point average (GPA) system. The GPA is on a 5.0 scale and students receive certain credits that take into account both their grades and the   levels of their classes. While the GPA is out of five points, only students who enroll themselves in all honors classes and earn all A’s can obtain a perfect 5.0 GPA.

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This system has proven itself to be challenging, but successful. With all that the weighted GPA has accomplished, it should not be changed.

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One success is that this system encourages students to challenge themselves to raise their GPA. The only way a student’s GPA can significantly change is by taking harder classes. Since earning a high GPA requires tremendous effort from students willing to put in time to get better grades in harder classes, they should be rewarded for their work. If the GPA were unweighted, a student who does well in easier classes could have the same GPA as a student who puts in far more effort in more difficult classes.

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This reality would be neither fair to the students in honors classes, nor practical. A weighted GPA adds incentive for students to work hard. Inherently, college is on the mind of many students in the high school. The culture at this school trains students to consider how every choice made will impact their future. Many students work hard to earn a satisfactory GPA to put on their college applications.

 

None of this is to say that students who take easier classes put in less effort. However, Honors classes inherently require more work than ACP classes. This has no correlation to students or their level of intelligence, it is merely the way the high school’s classes function.

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An unweighted GPA would also do nothing to relieve stress from students regarding college applications. What many do not realize is that colleges do not just look at your GPA, they look at the level of your classes as well. If the high school used an unweighted GPA, colleges would still take into account whether or not a student was taking harder classes. If anything, an unweighted GPA would take away necessary pressure students need to excel in school.

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One of the many concerns of the staff with regarding weighted GPA is that it causes too much stress to obtain a perfect GPA. However, it is important to note that the weighted system teaches students a lesson. Everyone always has room to progress and just because there is a set standard does not mean you have to meet it in order to succeed. One of our responsibilities as students and as mature people is to know our limits. While a 5.0 may be the set perfect standard, it does not mean a student has to earn it to be considered ‘smart,’ or to succeed.

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The weighted system does not exclude students taking classes other than honors from obtaining a satisfactory GPA. A student who earns all A’s in all ACP classes can still receive the exemplary GPA of a 4.5 out of 5.0. A student who receives all A’s in all CP classes can earn a 4.0 out of 5.0, which is also an impressive GPA.

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Another concern of many students regarding a weighted system is that taking classes that are appropriate for them will not earn them a satisfactory GPA for college applications. However, the actual importance of GPA depends on the specific college. In a 2013 article by USA Today, Greg Roberts, the dean of admissions from University of Virginia said that GPA is not a crucial factor in determining acceptance. While it matters, a less than perfect GPA will not hurt a student’s chances of admission. Colleges also recalculate GPA’s to determine what it is according to their preferred scale, so the GPA at the high school does not impact students as much as they may think.

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What is crucial to consider in regards to Roberts’ point is that GPA is not all that colleges will see. Good SAT or ACT scores and extracurricular activities also play a huge role in dictating the acceptance of a student. However, what will matter more depends on the specific college a student applies to.

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The changing of the GPA system has been debated for years, yet there has been no change. While there is a compelling argument in favor of changing the system, keeping the GPA weighted has far more benefits. It is convenient, as it is already in place. It is encouraging, as students can see significant changes in their GPA when they go up a level in a class or earn a high grade. It is also necessary, as it adds to the challenge that our school is so renowned for.

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The high school is a competitive environment, and this constant competition is part of what helps students succeed. The weighted GPA is one of the largest components to the challenges the high school poses for students. By taking it away, we risk changing the entire culture of our school. This culture is what makes the high school such a unique community, and being able to unite despite the constant competitiveness in academics is something we cannot risk losing.