Trinity Policy on High School GPA
Why does Trinity recalculate high school GPA's?
There is little to no consistency in how high schools weight honors and advanced placement courses. As a result, attempting to compare students from high schools across the country is becoming increasingly difficult. Most colleges are now focusing more on the grades earned in particular courses as opposed to a "weighted" GPA. In addition, some high schools do not weight honors courses at all. As a result, Trinity recalculates all high school GPA's.
How does Trinity interpret high school grade point average?
Any cumulative grade point average indicated as "weighted" is recalculated using the high school's grading scale, if possible. All grades earned are considered with pluses and minuses (with the exception of A+).
Grade point averages are recalculated based on an unweighted 4.0 scale
Why do high schools weight honors courses if most colleges will recalculate them?
The primary reason for weighting courses is to reward and reinforce the decision for students to take the more rigorous courses. It also provides a way for the high school to rank the students without penalizing those who took the more difficult courses.
What are the benefits to a student taking honors courses in high school?
The benefits are three-fold:
1. Students are more prepared for the rigors of college study.
2. Students often score better on standardized tests (ACT & SAT).
3. Students are more likely to earn college credit before enrolling in college full-time (CLEP & AP).
How are unweighted grade point averages used at Trinity?
Unweighted cumulative grade point averages are considered, along with SAT and ACT scores, for evaluation of admission to the University as well as in the awarding of academic scholarships.
