Why a GPA Is More Important Than Ever
A GPA has always been an important part of the university admissions process in the United States. According to a 2020 study, high school GPA is a better predictor of college graduation than ACT scores. This study confirms that the ACT score only makes a difference depending on the high school that students attend. This is especially true for international students who now have to focus on their GPA, and not ACT scores.
As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, many institutions that previously relied on standardized test scores such as the SAT and ACT are now waiving this requirement. For example, the University of California system suspended admissions testing requirements and has not reinstated them.
How can this work in your favor when accepting international applicants? It puts the focus on the grades they already earned, specifically their GPA. Admissions officers have less data than usual to make an informed admissions decision. However, they still need to fill classes with qualified applicants. For this reason, it is imperative that the GPA is correctly calculated.
To calculate a GPA for an international applicant, the grades for each class are first converted to the US A-F scale. It does not matter if the foreign scale is based on 100 points, like China, or uses letter grades from O to F or A to E, like some schools in India, or any other grading scale. Everything is converted into the US A-F scale, and a mathematical average is calculated. The challenge is to do this consistently and fairly. This is where Scholaro Premium GPA comes in.
With Premium GPA, your applicants can use our easy-to-use software to convert international grades into a US GPA calculation. Scholaro’s grade conversion scales are transparent, and you can validate the data, eliminating the risk of mistakes. By having a Scholaro Premium GPA submitted, you know students’ GPA when they apply for admission, helping you to make the best decision, and to accept more qualified international applicants.
