GPAs at WP

Granuaile

Prospective - 2017
5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Messages
25
Hi all - I know that as a hopeful for the class of 2017 this is a ways off for me to be worrying about, but maybe some other people here can see this thread and prosper from it, I don't know. I was wondering about grades at WP. Like, at my school I'm getting a 4.2 (weighted, obviously) and it's considered embarrassing. My friend at a civilian college is getting straight A's, and my other friend at UC Berkeley got one B and everyone feels bad for her. I know the situation at West Point is pretty different. The name itself carries a lot more prestige and you already have a job, so maybe grades don't count as much for trying to get a job after graduation?

I know that grades go into something called a "universal GPA" and that that helps determine what base and post you get after graduation, but are you guys all aspiring for 3.9s or 3.4s? Is there a really big difference between a 3.4 and a 3.9?

Basically, I ask because like many people here, to even get into West Point you have to be a superstar in high school, and I want to know how low my expectations are going to have to fall in terms of GPA when I get to West Point.

Sorry for any incoherency :wink:
 
If I recall correctly, your class rank defines the priority for the branch you choose (such as Aviation, Infantry...)
 
The name itself carries a lot more prestige and you already have a job, so maybe grades don't count as much for trying to get a job after graduation?

GPA, which includes academic, military, and physical is what determines what branch you get when you commission into the Army...
 
are you guys all aspiring for 3.9s or 3.4s? Is there a really big difference between a 3.4 and a 3.9?

Basically, I ask because like many people here, to even get into West Point you have to be a superstar in high school, and I want to know how low my expectations are going to have to fall in terms of GPA when I get to West Point.

Overall, I would say that having 3.9 GPA is not a main focus. I can't say that there is one specific reason for that, though a possible one would be the fact that no matter what our class rank is, we will all be in the Army,

That is not to say that cadets don't work hard - the overwhelming majority do. However, since everyone here is a superstar from high school, only the superstars of the superstars end up getting that 3.9 or 4.0. It is just very difficult to be top-ranked academically, physically, and militarily. This is partially because, for example, the average grade in most DPE classes is a C+/B-. It also is partially because there are some parts of your grade you have no control over. For example, military grades are force distributed, so if you are in a particularly squared-away squad/platoon/company, you may only earn a C+, though in a different squad/platoon/company, your efforts could earn a B+. As a result, there is not an expectation that everyon get overall straight A's, or even mostly A's. People earn other people's respect by how hard they work, not their GPA.
 
Haha. It really depends on the person. Most people would be happy with a 3.0. 3.4+ is generally recognized as being pretty good, and a 3.9-4.0 will get you astonished looks and probably very few friends(you'll be working too damn hard to make them).
 
I know some people who went to WP, and they all got way worse GPA's than in high school. It also depends on your priorities, if you are on a varsity sport that practices mornings and afternoons/evenings, your time for study is greatly diminished, but you are in better physical condition, which goes to your overall performance. You just need to work hard, and not slack off a ton, because it's nigh impossible to be perfect at academics, physical stuff and military training all at once. I have also been told that they make it as hard as possible to prepare you for later, even though they know you'll not do as well in the moment.
 
People earn other people's respect by how hard they work, not their GPA.

Thank you everyone for responding! And LOTRjedi13, that is exactly what attracts me to the academy.

Thank you all again, I definitely didn't know that the athletics counted as part of your GPA, let alone that big a part... And I didn't know that's how branches were decided.
 
Thank you everyone for responding! And LOTRjedi13, that is exactly what attracts me to the academy.

Thank you all again, I definitely didn't know that the athletics counted as part of your GPA, let alone that big a part... And I didn't know that's how branches were decided.

Your GPA is still your academic GPA. Your CQPA is what takes into account your weighter academic, military, and physical grades.

Only clarifying this so people know that your physical and military grades won't be the GPA graduate school sees.
 
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