gpa calculation questions?

[Doctor_Strange]

Hey,

My school says that each course offerred--no matter with a lab or without or if its an English class--will count as four semester hours.

So, I don't know how to react to this. I took a non-lab HIV class, and earned an A-. Is it not a 3.7 anymore?

I am getting really nervous because I have an excel sheet with my grades, and I have been treating all my classes as equal. At my school all science courses are combined lecture and lab, you cant take lab separately.

Ex:

Grade: A-
Attempted: 1.000
Earned: 1.000
GPA Hours: 1.000
Quality Points:3.7

How would/should this be converted to AACOMAS?

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[Doctor_Strange]

I feel like it should be listed as 4 semester credit hours.

At the end of my freshman year, I had "8 earned hours" and "8 gpa hours" which I believe should translate to 32 semester hours after my freshman year which is what AACOMAS says it expects...

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Not sure what you are asking here, but it seems weird that ALL of your classes are 4 credit hour classes..doesn't seem right. However, if this is the case, then you would calculate the GPA using however many credit hours you have earned along with how many points you have earned according to your grade. I would use a GPA calculator.

 

[PocketJ]

Some schools are on a credit unit system. I went to a school with credit unit system. Usually 1 credit unit = 4 semester hours. It should say on the official transcript somewhere. I used 1 credit unit = 4 semester hours scale on AACOMAS. When you enter your coursework, simply enter "4" under semester hours for each class and you're good. I hope this helps.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

Some schools are on a credit unit system. I went to a school with credit unit system. Usually 1 credit unit = 4 semester hours. It should say on the official transcript somewhere. I used 1 credit unit = 4 semester hours scale on AACOMAS. When you enter your coursework, simply enter "4" under semester hours for each class and you're good. I hope this helps.

As @OrdinaryMD also said, it does seem weird. I don't have my official transcript on me, but it makes sense that 1 credit = 4 semester hours. However, I am afraid that AACOMAS could not honor this.

It is my understanding that an A- in a 4.0 semester hour course is basically worth more than in a 3 .0 semester hour course--as you can tell, I have a really poor understanding of semester hours, quarter hours, etc. All I ever needed to know was that I needed 32 credit hours to graduate from my school!

 

[PocketJ]

As @OrdinaryMD also said, it does seem weird. I don't have my official transcript on me, but it makes sense that 1 credit = 4 semester hours. However, I am afraid that AACOMAS could not honor this.

It is my understanding that an A- in a 4.0 semester hour course is basically worth more than in a 3 .0 semester hour course--as you can tell, I have a really poor understanding of semester hours, quarter hours, etc. All I ever needed to know was that I needed 32 credit hours to graduate from my school!

I can confirm AACOMAS would honor it. They honored mine. It doesn't matter though. All classes are 1 unit anyway. They are equal so at the end of the day it doesn't matter if it is 1 unit or 4 semester hours. GPA calculation wouldn't be affected. Just enter it 4 semester hours on AACOMAS.

 

[PocketJ]

This is straight from AACOMAS instructions.

"Unit Credits

If ALL of your course credits are listed as “1.0″ or 0.50″ your transcript is listing CREDIT UNITS and you need to make a conversion. Check the back of your transcript and search for a conversion ratio, which will say something like “1 unit is equivalent to 4 semester hours.” If there is no conversion on the back of your transcript, you should contact your registrar’s office to determine the conversion ratio. Once you have determined the conversion ratio, convert the credits by multiplying the number of units listed on your transcript by the conversion factor. For example, if your conversion is 1 unit = 4 hours and your transcript lists 1 unit for a course, you would enter in 4.00 credits on your AACOMAS application. If 0.50 is listed, you would enter in 2.00."

 

[Doctor_Strange]

@PocketJ

Thank you very much for that blurb. So my final question, I am taking Gen Chem 2 at another university, with 3.0 semester hour lecture and 1.0 hour lab. How am I suppose to view the lab? I am gonna get a B in the lecture and A in the lab, but I feel like the A in the lab is worth less? Is that even the right way to interpret it? Do I combine both and its now like a 3,25 gpa for 4.0 credit hours?

Thanks!

 

[PocketJ]

@PocketJ

Thank you very much for that blurb. So my final question, I am taking Gen Chem 2 at another university, with 3.0 semester hour lecture and 1.0 hour lab. How am I suppose to view the lab? I am gonna get a B in the lecture and A in the lab, but I feel like the A in the lab is worth less? Is that even the right way to interpret it? Do I combine both and its now like a 3,25 gpa for 4.0 credit hours?

Thanks!

If the transcript lists it separately, then you also have to list it separately. So in your example, you would enter 3.0 for the lecture as B and 1.0 for the lab as an A. Are you going to get separately grades on transcript or just one grade?

 

[Doctor_Strange]

If the transcript lists it separately, then you also have to list it separately. So in your example, you would enter 3.0 for the lecture as B and 1.0 for the lab as an A. Are you going to get separately grades on transcript or just one grade?

Sorry, I am making it more confusing. At the school that I am taking Gen Chem 2 right now, there are two separate classes: the lecture (3.0 semester hours) and lab (1.0 semester hours). I will earn a B and A respectively in both, and they will show up separately on my transcript. I am trying to understand, then, how much the 1.0 semester hour A will actually have on my GPA.

And to your last point, is the following true or false: an A in a 4.0 semester hour class is worth more/has a greater impact on GPA than a 3.0 semester hour course?

 

[PocketJ]

Sorry, I am making it more confusing. At the school that I am taking Gen Chem 2 right now, there are two separate classes: the lecture (3.0 semester hours) and lab (1.0 semester hours). I will earn a B and A respectively in both, and they will show up separately on my transcript. I am trying to understand, then, how much the 1.0 semester hour A will actually have on my GPA.

And to your last point, is the following true or false: an A in a 4.0 semester hour class is worth more/has a greater impact on GPA than a 3.0 semester hour course?

Yes so in that case it's like having a 3.3 in a 4 semester hour class. You still list it separately and AACOMAS will average on its own.

And correct, A in 4.0 semester hour class helps your GPA more than a 3.0 semester hour class. That goes without saying. I understand the question though because you are not used to semester hours and all you have dealt with is all classes being 1 unit equal.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

Yes so in that case it's like having a 3.3 in a 4 semester hour class. You still list it separately and AACOMAS will average on its own.

And correct, A in 4.0 semester hour class helps your GPA more than a 3.0 semester hour class. That goes without saying. I understand the question though because you are not used to semester hours and all you have dealt with is all classes being 1 unit equal.

So, at the end of the day, do you think the 1 credit unit system benefits you or is it kind of a like a net effect of zero? I feel like having all of my classes listed as 4.0 credit hours is much more "rigorous" (and bigger impact on GPA) than a student who takes 3.0 semester hours? Again, I know it varies by institution, but judging from what you have informed me on, it would seem AACOMAS GPA calculations will reward 4.0 classes with more weight?

And again, thank you so much for helping me! My school's Registrar is on break for a couple of weeks now!

 

[PocketJ]

How are your grades? How have you done in science and non-science classes? In my experience, this system gives non-science classes little more weight than normal semester system. At the end of the day, it all depends on how you have done in your courses. So it could be good or bad, depending on your grade distribution between science and non-science classes.

 

[Doctor_Strange]

Well, I have an excel spreadsheet that has not accounted for the semester hours, but having said that, I have 3.25sGPA, and a cGPA 3.38. But what from you are saying, AACOMAS will weigh it differently, and perhaps to my advantage.

 

[PocketJ]

No. They will weigh all the 1 unit classes same. Whether it is 1 unit or 4 semester hours, it doesn't matter because ALL classes are same equivalents except the classes you take at different university.

 

[PocketJ]

You can PM me if you need further clarification.

 

[PocketJ]

I suggest using a GPA calculator found in one of the threads here. Don't use 1 unit while entering grades on the calculator. Just enter 4 semester hours for 1 unit classes. Use everything in semester hours. That's your GPA.

 

[PocketJ]

Check out this calculator posted by @FutureDrB.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/aacomas-gpa-calculator-revised.839864/

 

[Doctor_Strange]

No. They will weigh all the 1 unit classes same. Whether it is 1 unit or 4 semester hours, it doesn't matter because ALL classes are same equivalents except the classes you take at different university.

Okay, no I understand, I'll check out the GPA calculator too. Thanks for the help!!!

 

[FutureDrB]

Okay, no I understand, I'll check out the GPA calculator too. Thanks for the help!!!

Let me know if you have trouble with the calculator. I put that one on there like 4 years ago. I want to say I've made a couple of changes to it since then, but I also think those changes were specific to just my scenario.

Thanks @PocketJ