What a GPA is, and why you do not need one
GPA (grade point average) is the average of your grades on the US scale, usually 0 to 4: A is 4, B is 3, C is 2, D is 1 and F is 0. Not every US school uses the same scale: some use a weighted GPA, where advanced courses such as AP and honors earn extra points (College Board). Colleges that receive thousands of transcripts from other systems read them in context instead of forcing them into this scale.
If you still want a GPA estimate
There is no official conversion, so any US-style GPA you work out is only an estimate for your own planning. The usual method takes your school's own A to F equivalent, turns each grade into points on the 0 to 4 scale and averages them.
- Find your school's equivalent. Use the approximate A to F equivalent your school gives, for example on the Common App international supplement. Do not make up your own.
- Turn each grade into points. On the usual scale, A is 4, B is 3, C is 2, D is 1 and F is 0.
- Average the points. Add them up and divide by the number of courses.
| Course | Your school's A to F equivalent | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | A | 4 |
| Physics | A | 4 |
| History | B | 3 |
| English | B | 3 |
| Chemistry | C | 2 |
| Estimate | 16 points divided by 5 courses | 3.2 |
The result is only an estimate:
- The equivalent is approximate. The international supplement asks your counselor for the scale's approximate equivalent on A to F, not an exact match.
- Scales differ. Some US schools weight advanced courses such as AP and honors, so the same record can give different numbers.
- Colleges apply their own rules. The University of California looks for a 3.4 GPA in 15 year-long academic courses, yet has you enter your marks exactly as your school reports them.
- Some colleges do not convert at all. Stanford says there is no need, and MIT does not try.
Use the number to see where you stand, never on your application: if your school does not calculate a GPA, leave the GPA field blank on the Common App. Capy's Academic area in bcs already computes a GPA estimate from Brazilian grades, and other grading systems are coming.
What colleges ask for, in their own words
Stanford, MIT and the University of California say plainly that they do not need a converted GPA. For the 2026-27 cycle, they want your grades as your school reports them, with its grading scale explained.
| Who | What they say about grades from outside the US |
|---|---|
| Stanford | No need to convert your marks to a US GPA. Internal and external marks, and any predicted grades, come directly from your school, translated into English. Stanford does not work with credential evaluation services |
| University of California | Enter grades exactly as your school reports them, as numbers, letters, percentages or words. Official records are required only if you are admitted, though a campus may ask for copies earlier |
| Common App School Report 2026-27 | The school answers whether it reports a GPA and a class rank, and can answer no. The counselor attaches the official transcript with courses in progress and a transcript legend |
| MIT | Says it does not try to convert your grades to the US system. Your counselor sends a Secondary School Report with three years of grades and external exam results, such as IB, A-levels, French Baccalaureate or CBSE, predicted if final results are not out yet |
| Bowdoin | Students from countries with national exams, such as WASSCE, KCSE, IGCSE or ISC, must send official results. IB and A-level students send predicted grades, or final results once they have graduated |
What to send, by curriculum
For the 2026-27 cycle, what you send depends on your curriculum: board exam marks for India and Pakistan, predicted and then final results for IB and A-levels, and national exam results such as WASSCE or KCSE, always with your school's own scale.
| Curriculum | What colleges usually see | Example of an official minimum |
|---|---|---|
| India (CBSE, ISC or state board) | Marks from Year X and Year XII board exams, plus school marks | UC (CBSE or state board): Year X and XII exams with an average above 60 |
| Pakistan | Board exam marks | UC: average above 70 |
| British system (IGCSE, GCSE, O-levels, A-levels) | GCSE or IGCSE results, A-level predicted grades, then final results | UC: at least 5 GCSE-level subjects and 3 academic A-levels |
| International Baccalaureate | Predicted diploma scores, then final results | UC asks for predicted scores if your school releases them |
| West Africa (WAEC, WASSCE) | WASSCE results and school marks | Bowdoin asks for official WASSCE results |
| Kenya (KCSE) | KCSE results and school marks | Bowdoin asks for official KCSE results |
| China (national curriculum) | Every course and mark from grade 9 to grade 12 | UC asks for all courses exactly as on the official record |
| National scales of 0 to 10 or 0 to 20 | Your school's own marks and a key to the scale | No conversion by you. The school explains its scale and, on the international supplement, its rough A to F equivalent |
The University of California's minimums are only there to be considered. UC also asks international first-year applicants for a 3.4 GPA in 15 year-long academic courses, while you still enter your marks as your school reports them (UC). Selective colleges admit students far above these minimums.
The international supplement
If your school is outside the US, the 2026-27 School Report asks the counselor to complete a one-page international supplement. In it, the counselor gives the school's scale and its approximate equivalent on the US A to F scale, and attaches final or predicted leaving-exam results. Not every college requires it; the Common App requirements grid shows which do.
Transcripts and translations
For the 2026-27 cycle, your school, not you, sends your official record, with an English translation and a copy of the original if it is in another language. The University of California is the exception: you type in your grades and send records only if admitted.
- Who sends it: your school, directly. Stanford, MIT and Harvard want the record from your school, not from you. The University of California is the exception: you type your grades into the application and send official records only if admitted.
- Language: documents in another language need an English translation, sent with a copy of the original.
- Who translates: never you. Yale asks for a certified translation. Harvard accepts a translation by an English teacher, if it names the translator and their relationship to you, and Stanford suggests an English teacher or school official. For NCAA eligibility, the translator must be qualified and not related to you.
- Mid-year report: many colleges ask for your first-semester grades of the final year. Harvard requires it, unless your school issues no midyear grades for the final year or you have already graduated; then your school sends the final report instead.
When a grade evaluation is required
Most first-year applicants in the 2026-27 cycle never need a paid grade evaluation. It comes up mainly for transfer students, who may need a course-by-course report from a service such as WES or ECE, and for college sports.
- Transfer students: applicants who already studied at a college outside the US may need a course-by-course evaluation by a US service, such as WES or ECE.
- College sports: the NCAA and the NAIA convert grades with their own rules, only for athletic eligibility.
- Only if asked: first-year applicants rarely need a paid evaluation. Pay for one only if a college on your list asks for it.