GPA on application question

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jack21222
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 4:38 pm

GPA on application question

Post by jack21222 » Thu Dec 01, 2011 8:22 pm

I am applying to grad schools now, and I have a question on what I should be putting in the space that asks for GPA.

I transferred from a community college, and some of my community college classes go back 11 years. The GPA I'm graduating with from my 4 year university only takes into consideration the classes I took there. They also list on the transcript the classes the transferred over and the grade received there. There are some classes I took at community college that did not transfer at all.

I can make a case for 3 different GPAs.

1) The GPA my university says I'm graduating with (middle)

2) The GPA including all classes that transferred over (highest, by a tiny bit)

3) The GPA including every class I've ever taken in my life (lowest)

Which one should I be entering into these application forms? The grad school will get both transcripts, so they can calculate the GPA however they wish, I'm just curious what I should put in the form.

In a related question, should I bother mentioning the poor grades I received 11 years ago in the personal statement? Or are those grades irrelevant?

If it helps any, here is a quote from one of the "help" buttons for a place I'm applying. I've bolded the parts I feel are relevant.
All applicants with U.S. credentials must enter their grade point average for all courses taken for their baccalaureate.

Note: Applicants with foreign credentials should leave the GPA field blank. The University's Office of International Education Services (IES) evaluates transcripts of applicants who have completed academic coursework outside of the U.S. for equivalency in the U.S. academic system.

All grades are to be converted to a (4.0) grading system. Pass/fail, satisfactory, completed credit, and similar grades are not to be included in these calculations.
This leads me to believe I should ignore my community college grades. The ones that didn't transfer weren't "taken for my baccalaureate," and the ones that did transfer were transferred as "completed credit," I believe.

Any ideas?

bfollinprm
Posts: 1203
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:44 am

Re: GPA on application question

Post by bfollinprm » Fri Dec 02, 2011 11:56 am

Put the GPA that shows up on your transcript ("middle") and your physics GPA should be calculated from the math and physics courses that show up on your transcript. Anything else doesn't matter.



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