GPA Brought to Mind

On the eve of a new school year, I’ll be meeting with a steady stream of parents. The most proactive of those ask me the same question, “What do we need to be doing now to get ready for college?” There is a long answer to that question, but the short answer is protect your GPA.

   There is no other number more important to a high schooler than the GPA. Much like an adult’s credit score, it is a quick reference numeral that compares one student to another and provides a snapshot of their academic history. Perhaps most importantly, it is one of the key components colleges use for admission.
    It can do more than that though. There are ancillary effects of having a good GPA. A student with a high one is more likely to have high standardized test scores, they are more appealing to scholarship committees, they are less likely to have to take remedial classes in college, there are discounts on car insurance, etc. Get it? A high GPA is a good thing.
    Unfortunately, many students and parents fail to see the benefits of a good GPA before it’s too late. In many respects, the GPA that matters most is the one you have at the end of your junior year. That is because so many of one’s post-high school plans are solidified before any senior grades are available. While colleges are going to check final grades after graduation, when a student applies to a college in the fall of their senior year, it is their junior GPA they present for review.  It is incredibly frustrating when a senior says they want to boost their GPA. That’s like looking for someone to kiss after midnight on News Year Eve. You’re too late.
    Maybe another way of thinking about it is, 66% of the academic history a college will base your admission on is comprised of your first two years of high school. It is also important to remember that the “A” in GPA stands for average. If you have 18 credits by the end of your junior year, working really hard in a single class to earn an A is only going to be about 5% of that average. It’s not going to have a huge impact in the big picture. You have to work hard in all your classes to maintain a strong GPA.
    All too often, students blow off the early years of high school thinking they have a plenty of time to get it together. In fact, those early years might be the most important. At the same time, students fail to realize the incredible influence their GPA will have on their future plans. Make sure you’ve got a good one before the ball drops.