Ok, I have heard a few different things about GPA, and although I suspect something like this probably differs from college to college I would like to know how Johns Hopkins assesses an applicant's GPA.

Do you place any extra weight on AP/IB classes?
Do you formulate your own assessment of a student's GPA by looking at an applicant's transcript, or do you use the one that the applicant's school provided?
If you use the one from the school, do you look at the weighted, unweighted GPA--or both?

Also, the only class rank that my school's IB program provides is a rank out of the entire school district, which of course is inordinately high. Does Hopkins consider this or not?

Sorry to burden you with so many enquiries at once.

The Admissions Committee at Johns Hopkins University looks at all aspects of a student's high school transcript including GPA, course selection, class rank, and all four years of grades. For statistical purposes we do examine an unweighted GPA on a 4.0 in academic core courses, in conjunction with an evaluation of course rigor. Average high school GPA for admitted or enrolling students is one of the statistics that we do not normally publish since it does not reveal anything about the competitive nature of our class. Every high school in America and the world calculates GPAs differently. Additionally, since our application review process is holistic and comprehensive, quoting averages and statistics really does not get to the heart of the Admissions review process.

Understanding all of that, typically the admitted class at Hopkins have a GPA of 3.86 or higher on a 4.0 unweighted scale. This average high school GPA is an unweighted 4.0 GPA that is re-calculated for each applicant. We use a system that calculates grades on a 4.0 system based on both a letter grading system (4.0 for A, 3.7 for A-, 3.3 for B+, 3.0 for B...) or numeric system (4.0 for 90-100, 3.0 for 80-89,...). There is no weighting added to this scale for the level of course. As well, these admitted students typically are in the "most" rigorous curricula available to them in their high schools - typically translated as taking 6 or more AP/IB classes throughout the four years of high school.

Please know that these are just averages. At Hopkins, we thoroughly review all qualifications of each and every applicant, and take everything to account. There are no minimum statistics that our applicant pool must meet to be admitted

We use your official transcript that your high school issues to us.  If there are +'s and -'s on your report card, those are the grades that we use.  If your school simply issues letter grades without +'s and -'s then that is what we use too.  

I have several questions about the GPA...

We use a system that calculates grades on a 4.0 system based on both a letter grading system (4.0 for A, 3.7 for A-, 3.3 for B+, 3.0 for B...) or numeric system (4.0 for 90-100, 3.0 for 80-89,...)

1. If my school does not send grades with + or -, will that mean that an A is 4.0? What would a B equate to? (I am not sure what my school will send, with or without)

2. Also, my school has their scale set up so that 93-100 is an A. Will that be taken into consideration when I apply if I have a B+ on my transcript, which equates to a 90-92?

3. I have taken courses at the local community college, and they might not be factored into my GPA at my high school. (My high school has not ruled on whether or not to factor them in, I am the first with this sort of problem) Will you factor them in when recalculating my GPA?

Thank you for the reply!

The simple to answer your question is that a school's specific grading scale is one of the many factors that is considered when an admissions counselor reviews a student's transcript. Grading scales are one of the many items that we will consider from high school profiles, to allow us to better evaluate the specifics of a transcript in relation to the school.

This is not something you need to be concerned with ... every school grades differently, every school offers different levels of courses, every school as some form of grade inflation or deflation, every school .... and so on and so on. A student's transcript is reviewed in the context of their specific school, not held to some arbitrary national scale.

Finally, your question about comparing one applicant to another applicant just doesn't work. Every applicant is different in multiple ways, that is why we review each applicant individually and do not compare one to another.

Freshman year grades and courses are reviewed when the Admissions counselor is looking over the applicant's transcript. They are not included in the unweighted GPA that is calculated for statistical purposes, as I mentioned above. In terms of importance freshman grade matter, but Sr. Yr., Jr. Yr. and Soph. Yr. matter more.

(P.S.: No need to post your question on the Hopkins forums and College Confidential -- you'll get the same answers. Just need to post once, and the quicker response will come on these forums.)

Yes those grades will be there for RD.

It depends on your individual school and when they send your transcript. Some schools will send the transcript before 1st marking period grades are available. Then they will send the mid-year transcript as an update which will include the semester grades. If we are missing information we will contact your school to obtain the grades we need.

All the information we need is included with your high school profile that your guidance counselor will mail along with your transcript. If the information is not included, we will contact your school to get the information.

This is not something individual applicants need to be concerned with.

No problem ... that is what we are here for.

Core Classes are:

English
History
Foreign Language
Math
Science

...and we count all courses in these subject areas, even when a student takes more than one course in a certain area.

Hey everyone, I was wondering at JHU how important is class rank in terms of admissions?

As usual, I will begin this response by reminding everyone that one of the rules of these Forums is we do not answer questions that reflect an inquiry about one's chances for admissions. Please remember to read our Forum Guidelines:
http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/forum-guidelines/

Now regarding class rank:

Class rank is not one of the primary academic factors of one's application. It is much more a minor consideration, whereas academic rigor, GPA, and course selection is much more important. Class rank varies so much from school to school that it becomes an additional piece of information that reflects a student's position in their school but not on a national scale.

There are schools that have over 85 students tied for the top position in the class whereas there are schools where there is only 13 students in the class so if you are ranked #1, your rank % is 7.7%??? Some schools use weighted grades, some school use unweighted grades. It varies so much that there really can't be a national class rank expectation.

Class ranks are always reviewed with relation to the specific school. And to say it again ... we are much much much more concerned with your overall performance, your academic trends, and the rigor of your courses, then your class rank.