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During admissions, the UC’s look at a unique GPA: UC GPA. In this post, we’ll shed light on the GPA for UC, breaking down how exactly it’s calculated and what you should aim for. Here we are introducing our UC GPA calculator to make life easier calculating your GP.

UC GPA Calculator Instructions

Figuring out what your UC GPA is, can be quite tricky. So, we created this calculator to help you out!

Here’s how to use it: 

  1. Take out your transcript! Only looking at A-G courses you took from the summer after 9th grade through the summer after 11th grade, count how many of each grade (A, B, C, D, and F) you received per semester.
    • For example, if you’ve taken 4 A-G courses and got A’s in all of them, you would enter “8” in the box below “Number of A’s.”
  2. Now, count how many UC honors courses/AP/IB courses you’ve taken per semester in 10th grade. Then, repeat for 11th grade. Enter these numbers in the boxes below “Number of 10th grade honors” and “Number of 11th grade honors” respectively.
  3. Click calculate and get your weighted and capped UC GPA!

 

How Does UC Calculate Weighted GPA?

The UC’s have their own GPA called weighted and capped UC GPA. What does this mean, exactly?

Weighted means that the UC’s takes into account the difficulty of your course load. That means for each UC approved honors course, an extra point is added to your GPA.

Capped means that a maximum of 8 semesters — no more than 4 from the 10th grade — of honors and AP/IB courses can be used to add additional points to your GPA. 

So if only 8 honors courses can help your GPA, why would anyone take more? 

Remember: the UC’s are not just looking at grades, but they are also looking at the rigor of your course load. If you’re able to take more high level courses — and maintain good grades in all of them — it will reflect positively when it comes time for admissions. 

Which Courses Are Included For Your UC GPA?

UC GPA Calculator

The UC’s only look at A-G courses taken during your sophomore and junior year — including the summers after 9th and 11th grade. They ignore pluses and minuses (In the eyes of the UC’s, there is no difference between an A+, A, or A-).

UC Honors Courses 

So what exactly do the UC’s consider an honors course?

For California Residents: 

Out of state: 

  • AP, IB, and transferable college courses only

What Is The Highest GPA? 

calculating the GPA for UC

Assuming that you take 5 to 6 A-G courses per semester throughout high school, the maximum weighted and capped GPA you can get by the end of your junior year is about 4.33 to 4.4. 

But again, UC GPA is not the end all be all — course rigor is important as well. Even though it won’t raise your GPA, stacking your transcript with AP’s will no doubt elevate you in the eyes of the admissions officer — but that’s only if you are able to obtain stellar grades despite the difficulty. 

Bottom line: don’t overload yourself, but also don’t let UC’s capped GPA scare you away from taking more honors classes. 

What Is A Good UC Capped GPA?

Looking at the most competitive UC campus, UCLA, the average UCLA GPA amongst accepted students was 4.24. So, if GPA is at or above this number, your GPA will be competitive for all of the UC campuses.

No matter what, just remember that your GPA doesn’t define you. With the wide variety of UC’s, you will no doubt end up at the campus that suits you the best!

Related Articles: UC Berkeley Acceptance Rates

Have more questions about the UC GPA? Ask us in the comments below! Read some of our most interesting articles here to be able to write a personal statement.