How to list GPA on applications

August 20, 2010 6:51 PM

I am filling out graduate school applications and I was wondering if anyone knew the proper etiquette on how to list a GPA for a student that has attended multiple institutions.

I could just list the GPA from the school I am about to graduate from, but I feel like that would be a lie on account of the fact that I have undertaken substantial work at another institution. Should I just do the math and come up with one number, i.e., tally up all of my grade from all of my schools and then take my GPA, or should I list them side by side, e.g., 3.85 School 1/ 4.00 School 2. Any ideas?

posted by Carnifex to education (6 answers total)

If there are fewer than 10 or so applications, I'd just email the DGS or asst-to-DGS at each department and ask them what they'd like you to do.

More than that, I'd compute a single GPA for all undergraduate work and NOTE CLEARLY in your cover letter that you've done it that way.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:18 PM on August 20, 2010

Common professional school applications, such as AMCAS, require that you list a cumulative GPA for all the undergraduate coursework you've done, regardless of institutions (even community college counts).

Graduate courses (as part of a graduate program, not just 500-level courses you took as an undergrad) get their own GPA.
posted by halogen at 10:06 PM on August 20, 2010

"Should I just do the math and come up with one number, i.e., tally up all of my grade from all of my schools and then take my GPA, or should I list them side by side, e.g., 3.85 School 1/ 4.00 School 2."

Why can't you do both (e.g., "School 1: 3.85 / School 2: 4.00 / Average of all courses: 3.whatever")?
posted by astrochimp at 8:00 AM on August 21, 2010

ROU_Xenophobe, is a DGS the director of graduate studies?

If so, I agree with ROU_Xenophobe. Look over the application for each program to see how they're asking for the information, and if you are still not clear, contact the program to find out what they want.

In the case of my program, we'd like to see the GPA from each school, and will have your transcripts to check as well, but we are mainly interested in the GPA from your degree-granting school.

We would never be interested in an overall GPA you calculated yourself.
posted by Squeak Attack at 10:42 AM on August 21, 2010 [2 favorites]

It's been a while since I applied to grad school. But I had taken a few courses at colleges other than the one where I got my BS, and I definitely remember putting different GPAs on different applications, because the schools I was applying to had different rules for how they should be calculated. I also remember being quite frustrated by this, because the different GPAs differed by very little.
posted by madcaptenor at 10:46 AM on August 21, 2010

is a DGS the director of graduate studies

Oui.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:53 AM on August 21, 2010