GPA, Explained

High schools debate the need for two kinds of GPA (academic weighted and unweighted). Is there a preference for any of these from the college side, knowing that GPA is so locally influenced that many colleges recalculate the GPA using their own standards?

Total (9-12) GPA - includes all courses with a A-F grading scale. “Courses” like advisory/staff assistant/etc. receiving a P or F grade are not included.

Academic (9-12) GPA - includes all grades but only courses noted as "academic". Essentially, these are our A-G courses (college prep). Does not include things like PE, SPED academic support classes, weight lifting, etc.

Academic (10-12) GPA - same as above but doesn't include 9th grade. This is on there because it This is on there because it best estimates the CSU/UC (California State or UCalifornia Collges) A-G GPA, which doesn't include 9th grade in the calculation.

Verdict from Jonathan Burdick, Admissions Leader at Cornell, University of Southern California, University of Rochester over the past 38 years

"As a long-term college guy I'd say it matters, but likely a bit less than (parents?) think. All things equal the admissions reading process would initially default to looking at the reported weighted GPA, but it would still be important to label or demarcate on the actual transcript which grades were weighted (and unless it's very simple, how much weight). These two ideas are separated because the reported GPA is much more likely to enter the student's record as a data point just because it's so much easier to find. And sadly, there's a non-zero chance that that data point persists all the way through to reporting, scholarships etc. But the actual admissions read, if it's serious, includes perusing the transcript as a direct source of important information."

That means that the courses a student chooses matter at least as much as GPA.