What is Gpa: Definition and 291 Discussions

Grading in education is the attempt to apply standardized measurements of varying levels of achievement in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (for example, A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a number out of a possible total (for example, out of 100).In some countries, grades are averaged to create a grade point average (GPA). GPA is calculated by using the number of grade points a student earns in a given period of time. GPAs are often calculated for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, and can be used by potential employers or educational institutions to assess and compare applicants. A cumulative grade point average (CGPA), sometimes referred to as just GPA, is a measure of a student's performance for all of his or her courses.

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  1. Entanglement

    Testing SAT scores and HS GPA when transferring

    Hi, I was wondering if I apply for a college as a transferring applicant will my SAT and HS GPA weigh much? Do colleges forgive previous bad performance? Thanks in advance.
  2. Y

    Schools Maximizing Your Chances for Grad School with a 2.8 GPA: Tips and Strategies"

    I graduated with a BS in electrical engineering with a 2.8 something GPA (can't remember the rest of the numbers ) I know it's bad. I was wondering if there was any hope for me to go to grad school? I was lucky to find a good paying job related to my degree despite my 2.8 GPA. I agent to school...
  3. N

    Is a 3.02 GPA in Physics Enough for Top Physics Grad Schools?

    Hello, all. I feel like I'm in a tough spot and wanted some guidance. I've used this forum over the years for kinds of info but this will be my first time seeking help. I'm looking to go to grad school to obtain a Masters in Physics. I graduated from GW in 2012 with a 3.02 GPA in Physics and...
  4. B

    Repeating Second Year: A Second Chance to Master the Basics of Physics

    So I got killed this past year in physics. Combined with the fact that I slacked off a lot in first year, I have an awful GPA. It's currently sitting at 1.66 ( out of 4.3) I need ~2.0 to get into honors physics. I'm guessing the possibility of grad school is out the window. I've been studying...
  5. T

    Low GPA, interested in doing research

    Hello all, I have a below 3.0 GPA, but am interested in doing any type of research / internship / co-op in some type of lab. I'm not particularly picky at this point, I just want to get some experience. I am looking for a position for FALL. I am a junior in college but am not attending in Fall...
  6. J

    Graduate Physics? Plenty of research experience, low GPA

    I've been reading many of these forums regarding students with low GPAs, or low GRE scores, etc., but I am in a slightly different situation. I am about to head into my senior year of undergrad and will receive a physics BS and an applied math BS. My GPA isn't much better than a 3.0, which it...
  7. risingcodeninja

    Programs Old GPA Haunting Second Degree/Transfer

    I got my first degree in sociology way back in 2000. Last year, I decided to pursue a second degree in computer science and enrolled at a tiny, private LAC that I chose solely based on low cost. I just completed my first year there and did well, earning a 3.6 GPA. However, I'm not happy at the...
  8. S

    Schools Realistically, can I get into grad school with a 2.8ish GPA?

    I'm an astrophysics major. I want to go to grad school. Whether it's physics, astrophysics, or astronomy I'd enjoy anything. My GPA is not good and realistically I was wondering what are my options if I had a 2.8 GPA (hypothetically, I still have two years left but my gpa is 2.4 now). I am at a...
  9. B

    When does GPA not matter for a theorist

    When discussing doing theory for grad school with one of my professors, he mentioned not having a 4.0 would be detrimental for top schools in theory. Currently, I have a 3.94/3.95 in physics and will have a 3.9-3.92 in math by the end of my college career. Is there any truth in my professors...
  10. T

    GPA Requirements, Masters Biophysics Canada

    Greetings all, I'm planning on graduating next year from a good school in biophysics with an OK gpa expected in the range of 3.2-3.3. Not stellar, but this meets the minimum requirements for some masters programs here (Canada) and across the border. I've read that realistically, applicants...
  11. M

    Importance of GPA vs specific grades

    I'm in the UK system and will probably graduate with a high 2:1, missing out on a First Class Honours due to mediocre grades in my early years due to burnout and lack of interest. However, the grades in the areas I'm interested in are quite good - high first class honours grades in each one, and...
  12. M

    Becoming a Physics Professor: Advice for OSU First-Year Student

    I'm currently a first-year student at OSU, and I'm a physics major. My first semester I got 2 C's and an A(college was harder than I expected and I didn't study a lot). This semester I am doing much better in my classes, getting close to straight A's but I was talking to someone and they said...
  13. R

    Physics undergrad research woes

    Hey everyone, I'm currently into my second semester of a physics B.S with a math minor. After a poorly planned dabble in a chemistry double major and some mental health issues, I left last semester with a 3.1 GPA, and it likely won't get much better after this semester either. Grad school has...
  14. B

    Realizing I made a big mistake

    So, during my second year, I took a course known as Physics Problem Solving which was an elective for me. I did very well in the course initially, but my girlfriend broke up with me which led me to a downward spiral of depression. I realized that the emotional stress along with the coursework...
  15. S

    2.3 GPA good enough to get into an REU

    Is it good enough? Should I even bother applying? and I mean any REU, not just ones that are from high tier schools. Thanks!
  16. C

    What to do with my Physics Degree (low GPA)

    Hi everyone, This post is a hybrid between career guidance and academic guidance. I'll be graduating with my B.Sc. in Physics next year in April 2016, from a Canadian university. I had a very rough first couple years, but I seem to be improving. My GPA is really low right now 2.33, I think (my...
  17. J

    Schools Freaking out - Not sure if I have a shot at grad school

    Hello all, Sorry for the long(ish) post but please bear with me, I've been reading posts in this forum for a while but haven't posted myself before. I have the feeling this sort of thread crops up a lot but I really feel like I need some advice. So I'm applying for masters programs in...
  18. Ravi Mohan

    Schools GPA issue for US graduate school

    Hi, I will be applying to US graduate schools this year (this would be my second attempt). I graduated from an Indian institute, not very well known for physics, and my CGPA (Cumulative Grading Point Average) is 7.991. Using http://www.foreigncredits.com/Resources/GPA-Calculator/India, I found...
  19. S

    Graduated with a BS in Physics with terrible GPA. What next? help?

    So like the title indicates, I graduated with a terrible GPA (2.6) and no papers published and no research experience in December. It took me 5 1/2 years instead of 4. I could go into how this happened but I doubt it is relevant to either you all or potential employers. Since I graduated I've...
  20. S

    Improving GPA to Get an Internship in Power Industry

    Hi all, I am enrolled in the BSEE program at NJIT with a 2.65 GPA. I will probably be improving this rating in the Summer and Fall. Yet, it might be just a little above a 3.0. One of the reasons for a low GPA is that I work full time while studying full time (averaging 17 credits per...
  21. interhacker

    Schools How high a GPA is necessary for grad school?

    I am planning to attend the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Pakistan starting this September for my undergraduate degree in engineering. I understand that getting into a grad school ranked in the top 50 after getting my BS would pretty difficult, if not impossible. I also...
  22. S

    Engineering PhD - everything should be decent but the GPA

    I have great research experience, letter writers, GRE scores, and have ideas for a good SOP, but I have a GPA of 3.3 in engineering. Is it still worth it to try to get into decent programs (read: Top 30), or should I just give up and head for the industry? Whenever people talk about GPA vs...
  23. D

    Exploring First-Year Engineering GPA Comparisons in Canada

    I am a first year engineering student and was wondering what average GPA's are compared to other universities. I attend a university in Canada which uses a percent based system and the college of engineering sets the average first year at a low 60%.
  24. I

    Schools Low gpa, any chance of getting into a good grad school?

    i'm a physics major at a tech school. my cumulative gpa is a 2.78. my physics gpa is somewhere between a 3.6~3.7. mainly the physics classes i didn't do well in were the physics labs 1 & 2, and the classes in general i didn't do well in were my humanities classes. REU's are out of the question...
  25. sheldonrocks97

    Is it Impossible to get a 3.0 GPA at New Mexico Tech?

    I am an out of state applicant who has just accepted admission at New Mexico Tech. I really want to go to NMT and I am very excited for the fall, but I heard that is a very hard school. I was just wondering is a 3.0 GPA is possible to obtain, because if I don't have a 3.0 or higher then I will...
  26. P

    What is a good gpa for getting into REUs?

    Hi, I am currently a junior majoring physics/math and I am looking to get into a reasonably good REU for this coming summer. However, my gpa is EXACTLY 3.5 (from NYU-poly), and I have no way of knowing if this is considered high or low on the spectrum. I have applied to CERN and SULI, which are...
  27. S

    Progress to recovering from a low GPA is too slow?

    Hello, I'm currently a sophomore at a top private university. In high school I had a 3.9 GPA, and never really had trouble with getting A's. I had top percentile SAT scores, and using this I now attend a private university ranked in the top 30 of the U.S. Unfortunately, my first year adjusting...
  28. L

    Advice for Sophomore w/Low GPA

    Hi physics community, I am a sophomore in college right now and my GPA is low. Like 2.5 low. I think the lack of passion in learning intro-level physics courses really messed me up (right now I am in modern physics, though, and I find it pretty interesting and fun). I thought I wanted to do...
  29. T

    Low Previous GPA and Biophysics Grad-Canada

    To summarize my life, I did undergrad in Canada graduated in Chemistry/Biology with a low and embarrassing GPA. Went to an offshore medical school for two years and once very unhappy- luckily I did very well there due to a change in attitude about academics. After much research I would like to...
  30. F

    Schools Subpar GPA; Aspirations for Grad School and cross discipline research

    Hello everyone, I am currently in my third semester at Rutgers University with a declared major in Physics. I aspire to do post-baccalaureate studies. However, my GPA is just "average." I have read through threads where the OP is in a similar situation to mine, and I have found a lot of...
  31. T

    Schools GPA, grades, C's, grad school (typical post probably)

    I am a junior physics and cognitive science major with hopes of going into grad school for physics. I have to stay 3-4 extra semesters to finish school- not enough time to do everything. The attached file shows my grades. PHY is physics, CSC is computer science, MAT is math- the rest are not...
  32. N

    Schools The Difference Between Sub 3.0 and 3.0 GPA for Grad School

    Since I am posting this on behalf of a friend (who's in a slight slump and could use some advice), I am probably lacking some information. However, hopefully you guys can get the idea. While my friend did well his first semester at the regional campus at his 50-60 ranked university, his...
  33. S

    GPA Started off Bad, any chance?

    Hi all, I am currently in my Year 2 study in BSC. Physics my GPA was nowhere near good in year 1, because I wasn't familiar with how university works, and everything in the courses was new to me. (I don't mind posting the numerical value here if it helps analyzing my situation) PS: My major...
  34. Y

    Is GPA the Only Measure of Success in Engineering School?

    Hi what would you think about an engineering school where many students are getting high GPA like 3.5 and above?? and the major is Electrical Engineering ! (which is sometimes considered as one of the hardest majors). a student in the school I am talking about got 4.0 GPA >>his major is...
  35. T

    Is GPA More Important for Job Opportunities: Cumulative or Major?

    So today I found out that I am not good at my electives. Do employers care more about cumulative GPA or my major GPA?
  36. jbrussell93

    Grade Inflation: Is a 4.0 GPA from a State School Suspect?

    I've heard people say that a 4.0 GPA can look a bit suspicious to admissions committees for grad school. I'm wondering how true this actually is... I assume it depends greatly on whether the 4.0 is coming from a well known university. Let's say that the 4.0 is just coming from a large state...
  37. S

    Low Undergraduate GPA: Is it Still Possible?

    Hello All, I graduated from Georgia Tech ~3 years ago with quite a low GPA. I ended up with a 2.84 cumulative for my BSEE degree. I know this is not good. Since then, I have done a couple of small personal electronics projects and have been working in industry for 3 years. I also started...
  38. M

    What does it take to get a 3.8 GPA?

    If a thread like this exists then admins can delete my thread and I will happily read the existing ones. I will need a 3.8 GPA in a science/engineering degree, most likely will major in something physics related. I read that I will need to study minimum of 6 hours a day which doesn't really seem...
  39. J

    Will I have any options if I graduate Physics with a 2.6 gpa?

    I was a Music major for three years and have been Physics for the last 2. I have two more years and while I love learning(trying to) about Physics I have had an extremely difficult time. I rushed through the lower div courses and did not do well. I was not prepared for my first year of upper...
  40. M

    Schools Dual Major, Crappy Cum. GPA, can I apply to top schools

    Stats after the fall semester (the time I will be applying for graduate school for Physics) Best case scenario I will have a 3.4 cumulative GPA, 3.85 Physics GPA, and a 3.0 Math GPA Dual Mathematics and Physics major, took 5 years to complete. 1st - 3rd year grade were par or less...
  41. A

    A 20 Year Old Indian Economics Student with Poor GPA Seeking MBA Guidance

    So,i'm from India.I'm a economics major.I want to do an MBA after this.Now the problem is,my first year GPAs are horrid.HORRIBLE.We have 6 semesters here in India.I'm studying in one pf the,if not the most prestigious school here. Sem 1- 2.69 sem 2-2.95 Sem 3-3.7 Sem 4-3.6 Sem 5-3.7 Sem 6-3.8...
  42. D

    Schools GPA during Grad School: Does It Matter?

    How much does your GPA during grad school matter? I understand that research is the main thing here but still I wonder. I just recently ended a semester with a B and a B+ and I am not very happy about it. I feel like I worked a lot for both classes and I expected higher grades. I am also pissed...
  43. E

    3.0 GPA Good Enough For Doctoral Programs?

    3.0 GPA "Good Enough" For Doctoral Programs? Many of the physics Ph.D. programs I've looked at require a minimum 3.0 GPA for acceptance into the program, but would one actually be accepted with the bare minimum GPA requirement? Don't get me wrong, obviously you shouldn't shoot for bare minimum...
  44. W

    Programs After Graduation (2.8 GPA) Math Degree, What to expect?

    To start, I am a sophomore studying mathematics at Penn State under the systems analysis option and going for a minor in economics and statistics. I tried to chose my degree to be most applicable to what I thought there would be a job demand for. So far, I have not put full effort into my...
  45. S

    How to calculate my calculate my GPA

    As of my first term at uni, I got 83, 64, 84, 84, 95, (all equally weighted) with the average of 82. 82 is equivalent to 3.7, but if I were to assign each percentage grade a 4.0-scale-grade then I would get (3.7 + 2 + 3.7 + 3.7 + 4) / 5 = 3.42... Which one is the correct calculation? (Wow that...
  46. J

    Schools Will grad school look at your GPA differently than your undergrad uni?

    At my university, they calculate gpa without the +- system. So if i got 90s (A-) in all of my classes i would have a 4.0. In general, when applying to grad school, will they look at the gpa my university says i have or will some of them calculate it to be a 3.6?
  47. J

    Programs Bad overall GPA but good Major GPA

    I did terrible in community college and got a 3.07. I just transferred to a university and it looks like I will have a 4.0 for my major GPA at the end of the semester. I'm sure these will change by the time I graduate (especially the 4.0 haha) but just going with what i have, if a graduated with...
  48. R

    Schools My college won't count a course for my GPA

    Hey guys, I have a question. I recently did an English test and passed it, and because that exam, I'm exempted from taking the English course (which is compulsory for the degree), but I passed it with a B and I'm worried that it would count in my GPA. My college says it won't count on it, but...
  49. C

    Schools 2.89 current GPA from good college?

    I'm an undergrad at RPI and I currently have a 2.89 GPA. I'm a senior so I'm currently applying for jobs. Haven't gotten any replies so far. I majored in Bioinformatics. Is it possible for me to get a job in this field? I will only have a 2.99 by the time I graduate and I think by that time, all...
  50. B

    Can You Succeed in Physics with a GPA Below 4.0?

    hi, i am currently a physics B.S major and i have been reading around the internet for a while about the career prospects with this degree. i have noticed time and again that it is stated that one needs to ace all of their classes in order to have hope in any physics or math based career (unless...
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