Some students are chasing extra GPA points with Advanced Placement classes, but the district’s decision to stick with unweighted GPAs prioritizes fairness and simplicity for all.
The West Bend High Schools’ student body is divided on the topic of weighted GPAs. Some students wish their more rigorous classes could give them a GPA boost to offset a lower grade. Other students prefer the more egalitarian unweighted approach. The West Bend School District chose to use unweighted GPAs after a broadly representative group came to the conclusion that it is more beneficial for students over a decade ago. Overall, this is because unweighted GPAs are simpler for other institutions (employers and colleges) to use, as well as being more equal for all types of students.
“I feel like (unweighted GPAs are) not an accurate depiction of students’ grades,” said Cassie Jerich, a West junior. “Those who take AP or honors classes deserve the opportunity to get more credit for these hard classes that they are taking.”
Dr. Quynh Trueblood, WBSD director of curriculum and instruction, understands why students who take many AP or honors classes may feel as though unweighted GPAs are a disadvantage. However, the school district was careful in considering the advantages and disadvantages to determine that unweighted GPAs were the best choice for all students.
“This decision really came by way of a broad group of people who came together in the district: students, administrators, and parents who wanted to study it and make the best decision,” Trueblood said.
Generally, the main reason to prefer unweighted GPAs is because of the equality they provide to all types of students. Khya Jimmerson, an East junior, describes that weighted GPAs would not help her as a student who has taken mostly standard-level classes.
“In fact, (unweighted GPAs) make me look better,” Jimmerson said.
Trueblood describes that an unweighted system allows students to choose whether to take rigorous classes with more freedom, as it takes focus away from GPA when selecting courses. In an unweighted system, there is no punishment for choosing to take a less rigorous class.
“This system of unweightedness allows more types of students to try things out and not feel like it’s all about the GPA,” Trueblood said.
With the Wisconsin Guarantee recently ratified, class rank has become of new importance for students. Students in the top 5% of their class are guaranteed admission to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, while students in the top 10% of their class are guaranteed admission to other UW schools. A system of unweighted GPAs allows class rank to be calculated without including any non-grade factors. This makes access to the benefits of this new law more accessible to any type of student.
Unweighted GPAs are better for the college admissions process in other ways.
“Colleges do appreciate the simplicity of an unweighted system. They do their own calculations, they can identify things that they value and prioritize,” Trueblood said.
When grades are not altered by class rigor, it’s easier for colleges to compare students to each other, which is an advantage for students pursuing competitive universities after high school.
Students who took classes with high rigor may feel as though they are disadvantaged in the college application process if they had a lower grade in a rigorous course.
“This factors in more for more competitive universities, but they have very sophisticated means to resolve that,” Trueblood said.
Universities don’t just evaluate students’ GPA, but will also review how rigorous the classes that they take are. Colleges can take an applicant’s unweighted GPA and transcript and evaluate their application based on what is important for that school. This means that students are not disadvantaged by taking higher-level courses, as the rigor of the courses they took will still factor into the decision process. This also advantages students pursuing non-collegiate post-high school paths.
“It’s much easier for the employer or the military to make that assessment too,” Trueblood said.
(Photos of the WBHS Career Readiness Center taken by Dakota Gunnare, Editor in Chief.)
The West Bend Current 
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