Numeric (Percent Type) Grade Conversion Question

[PostHaste]

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I've spent a day searching SDN and digging through the AMCAS instructions and AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide and haven't found the answer yet. If it's out there, please redirect me.

Background:
My undergrad school uses a 100-point scale. On the back of the official transcript is a conversion guide to the 4.0 scale in 0.5 steps.

The AMCAS Conversion Guide has tables for Numeric - Halfstep Grades and for Numeric - Percent Type Grades. The Percent Type table does not have a scale that matches my undergrad.

Question:
How should I calculate my estimated GPA? If I convert to Half-Step using my undergrad's conversion and then calculate, my GPA/s comes out to 3.3/3.3. If I use the generic Percent Type scale (93-100=A, 90-92=A-, etc), my GPA/s comes out to 3.65/3.8. These GPAs obviously put me in significantly different tiers and will greatly affect my planning over the next two years.

How does AMCAS calculate/verify GPA? Do they have a scale for every undergrad school, or are applicants expected do do the "best guess" entry?

Thanks in advance!

(For reference, I'm a non-trad with 180 credit hours at this point, so just overcoming the difference between a 3.3 and a 3.7 isn't feasible.)

 

[Dianyla]

Is this a Canadian school? I've seen some interesting past threads discussing how how AMCAS converts percentages to letter grades.

 

[PostHaste]

No, the school's not Canadian, just overly proud of being "special." 🙄

If you have any more leads/thoughts/ideas on where to find the past discussions I welcome them. The only thread I could find with a similar situation was from 2000 and there was never a solid answer to the question.

 

[Dianyla]

All the threads I've seen were for Canadian schools. Have you tried searching for your school specifically by name? It may have been discussed here, but as you said it might not be recent.

My undergrad school uses a 100-point scale. On the back of the official transcript is a conversion guide to the 4.0 scale in 0.5 steps.

I would speculate that, in lieu of better information, AMCAS will follow the conversion guide printed on the back of your transcript. Your best bet is to email/call them and find out for sure.

 

[PostHaste]

Thanks again. I did search for my school's name, but again only found the one thread from 2000. I suppose you're right, that just calling would get the most correct answer, I was just hoping that I might find someone else here who had had the same type of situation, or knew how AMCAS verifies grades.

 

[PostHaste]

To close the loop on this one:

I applied this cycle and got the answer to my question when I was verified.

I entered my grades as they were shown on the transcript, on the 100-point scale. Someone from AMCAs then used the conversion scale on the back of the transcript that converts from 100-point to half-step 4-point scale, and then assigned letter grades to those 4-point grades based on the AMCAS grade conversion guide; the letter grade is what was entered by AMCAS on the verification side of my Academic Record.

For example, I had a 92 in a class. My university defines that as equivalent to a 3.5. So AMCAS entered "AB" in their column, which then equals a 3.5 in the calculation of the GPA.

 

[MedAdComMD]

To close the loop on this one:

I applied this cycle and got the answer to my question when I was verified.

I entered my grades as they were shown on the transcript, on the 100-point scale. Someone from AMCAs then used the conversion scale on the back of the transcript that converts from 100-point to half-step 4-point scale, and then assigned letter grades to those 4-point grades based on the AMCAS grade conversion guide; the letter grade is what was entered by AMCAS on the verification side of my Academic Record.

For example, I had a 92 in a class. My university defines that as equivalent to a 3.5. So AMCAS entered "AB" in their column, which then equals a 3.5 in the calculation of the GPA.

92 is a 3.5? 92 would be an A (4.0) at most schools. Must be ridiculously easy to get high marks in your school then.

 

[paul411]

You should add you schools name to the thread in case someone tries to search this using the school name (like you did).

 

[oaklandguy]

My school has a weird GPA scale too, so just know that AMCAS will adjust it fairly and appropriately.

 

[PostHaste]

92 is a 3.5? 92 would be an A (4.0) at most schools. Must be ridiculously easy to get high marks in your school then.

😕 I didn't really think so. Would you extend that to say that any university that uses a half-step scale (4.0, 3.5; A, AB, B; A, A-, B, B-) is ridiculously easy? Their scales will all be comparable to ours. Interesting thought though; you've really got me mulling it now.

You should add you schools name to the thread in case someone tries to search this using the school name (like you did).

I know. I was hesitant to post it for anonymity, but honestly, anyone who cares could figure out who I am anyway. The school is Kettering University (formerly GMI) in Michigan.

My school has a weird GPA scale too, so just know that AMCAS will adjust it fairly and appropriately.

Yeah, it was fair and appropriate, I just wasn't sure how they would do it. Had AMCAS used a straight up +/- scale my GPA would have been about 0.2 higher; when you're talking about a difference of 3.4-->3.6, this could have an influence on where you apply.

 

[Eric01]

Before my university converted to the +/- system a 90% in most standard classes was considered an A (4.0).