Understanding the Meaning and Importance of a Good GPA

All students wanting to study in the USA or who are interested in joining the USA Scholarships Placement Programme will discover that your high School GPA (Grade Point Average) will be required to be of a substantial level.

For many Non-American students, I'm sure you are wondering, "What is a GPA?" A student's GPA is the average of all your Grades/Marks received from Grade 9 to 12, in specific course subjects. These res​ults are then averaged to form a score out of 4 GPA points.
Different countries will have different academic grading formats; some schools will have symbols from, A to F, while others will have numerical rankings. In South Africa, we generally use a combination of symbols and percentages to measure academic performance.  Per the NCAA guidelines, South African grades have been allocated numerical values that are deemed equivalent to the American Academic Performance. Please review the table below to see how South African Grades and American Grades equate.

Once your GPA has been calculated; it will be used alongside your SAT scores when applying to College and Universities. The importance of a good GPA cannot be emphasized enough and can be the difference between going to your desired University and not.

Whether you are applying for a sports or an academic scholarship, your GPA plays a critical role in the universities decision-making process. Colleges will delve into your GPA scores and see where and why you have the grades you do.  This makes it essential for students to do well every year. South African students cannot afford to slack off in Grade 9 & 10, and then decide to put the in the effort when they get to their senior years of high school because the overall GPA will be affected and your poor performances will be reflected in your low Grade Point Average.

An average GPA will not keep you from going to college, but many four-year universities do require a GPA of 3.25 or higher. You should always strive to do your best every year, as it all counts at the end of the day.


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Tamryn White