Boosting GPA/QPA

By Charlotte P

The world of high school brings a new concept to students: GPA and QPA. Both of these averages are used to rank students in a common graduating class and are viewed by colleges worldwide. In this article, GPA will refer to the unweighted grade point average and QPA will refer to the weighted grade point average or quality point average. How to calculate these averages will be provided here: (http://prezi.com/z6q2ll6szaeb/untitled-prezi/?kw=view-z6q2ll6szaeb&rc=ref-34838509). The main issue addressed in this article is how to increase your GPA and/or QPA. There are three ways to do this: take challenging classes that have quality points (only applies to QPA), succeed in your classes, and plan.

Taking challenging classes is not a choice for everybody; these classes are generally at an honors or Advanced Placement (AP) level. In general, schools give 1 quality point for honors and 2 quality points for AP. However, this may be different in your county. Below these two levels is the standard course which follows the Standard Curriculum of North Carolina. The honors course requires more critical thinking skills like analyzing and making inferences while the AP course is at the college level. Although an AP class may be "easy" at your school, it is designed to prepare you for a College Board AP test that can provide college credit if you pass. To decide if such a class is right for you, look at your history of courses. Did you take any honors classes? Have you done well throughout school before? Are you ready for the challenge of the loads of homework and expectations? If you have said yes to any of these questions, I suggest starting out with one or two AP classes, then increasing the amount if you think you can handle more.

Success in classes can increase GPA because it adds more points onto your average. However, succeeding in your classes is easier said than done. There are a few tips I will give in this article. Success essentially requires diligence. This means avoiding laziness, procrastination, and going beyond the bare requirements. Avoiding laziness involves doing your homework, which can help you prepare for quizzes and tests. Avoiding procrastination works to give you the best possible grades on long-term projects. Going beyond the bare requirements means that you aim for a 100, not just a C or even an A. When you aim for a 100, you at least get above a 93. Other tips for success are provided in this blog: just search up Success in the search box.

The first two ways combine in a third way: planning. Planning can be divided into two categories: 1) short-term and 2) long-term. Short-term planning involves time management with schoolwork. AP and honors classes require a copious amount of homework. Therefore, a consistent schedule for homework completion will help. Another trick is to do the easy/quick homework assignments first. In this way, you can spend a little more time on the longer assignments instead of stressing about time. One skill to develop is doing long assignments, like essays, quickly; such a skill requires practice, but it will conserve time and increase success in all classes. Long-term planning is a strategy that I have used. When I started high school, I made a course plan for my freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years, like this:

High School Plan

9th Grade 2011-2012		10th Grade 2012-2013		11th Grade 2013-2014		12th Grade 2014-2015
1st Sem.	2nd Sem.	1st Sem.	2nd Sem.	1st Sem.	2nd Sem.	1st Sem.	2nd Sem.
Biology I Honors 4x4	Chemistry I Honors 4x4	Algebra II Honors 4x4	PreCalculus Honors 4x4	English III w/ AP Lang. and Comp. A/B Orchestra A/B	English III w/ AP Lang. and Comp. A/B Orchestra A/B	English IV w/ AP Lit & Comp A/B AP Statistics A/B	English IV w/ AP Lit. & Comp A/B AP Statistics A/B
Health/PE 4x4	English I Honors 4x4	English II Honors 4x4	Physics Honors 4x4
Crafts I A/B Orchestra I A/B	Crafts I A/B Orchestra I A/B	Latin IV – AP Vergil 4x4	Civics & Economics HN 4x4	AP US History A/B AP Env Sci A/B	AP US History A/B AP Env Sci A/B	AP US Gov. and Politics A/B Orchestra IV Honors A/B	AP US Gov. and Politics A/B Orchestra IV Honors A/B
		AP Psych A/B Orchestra II A/B	AP Psych A/B Orchestra II A/B	AP Biology 4x4	AP Biology 4x4
Latin I 4x4	Geometry Honors 4x4			AP Calculus AB 4x4	AP Calculus BC 4x4	AP Econ A/B AP Euro. History A/B	AP Econ A/B AP Euro. History A/B
						AP Chemistry/ Physics B 4x4	AP Chemistry/ Physics B 4x4

Online Courses:

9th Grade

	Spring of 2012	Summer of 2012
Social Studies	World History Honors
F. Lang	Latin II	Latin III Honors

10th Grade

	Fall of 2012	Yearlong
World Language	French I
Social Studies		AP World History

11th Grade

	Yearlong
Art	AP Art History
CTE	AP Computer Science A
Science	AP Physics

12th Grade

	Yearlong
Social Studies	AP Human Geography
Music	AP Music Theory

After doing so, I calculated my prospective GPA if I received all A's. This strategy will help you see where you might be in your senior year of high school.

GPA/QPA boosting mostly depends on you. It requires careful planning and decision-making. People with high GPAs tend to challenge themselves ambitiously, work diligently, and plan carefully. Remember that GPA is not the only consideration of colleges when they look at your application. Volunteer work, extracurriculars, leadership roles, etc. are all important to your application. Therefore, to really get accepted into your dream college, managing your time is crucial. People who go to their dream schools have high GPAs, extensive community service, leadership, etc.