The G.P.A. stands for grade point average. This is the average of all courses taken for college entrance credit. It is one of two most important numbers. The other is the board score for S.A.T. or A.C.T. There are some schools that have made the board testing optional. This makes the G.P.A. even more important.
The question about how many honors courses or AP courses should be taken is always debated. Grade bumps are usually given in these courses. That is, if a student gets a B in a course, the grade is bumped to an A. This definitely affects the G.P.A. There are two G.P.A. scores on transcripts. One is weighted- with the grade bumps. The other is unweighted-without the grade bumps.
It is necessary to balance the course load for a student so that the highest G.P.A. possible for the individual can be achieved. It is important to note that in courses that give grade bumps, the curriculum is covered more quickly and in more depth than the regular college preparatory classes. For every hour in the seat in one of these courses, the student can expect 1.5 to 2 hours of work to do on the outside of class to be successful. That means in a 5 day week, up to an additional 10 hours of work can be expected in the form of homework and studying. Be careful in designing the course load for a student.
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