Self-Reported Grades

When applying as a first-year student to UGA, students will be asked to submit a summary of the grades earned in academic courses in high school. While UGA requires an official transcript from the high school, we also prompt students to submit their self-reported grades. We do not ask for a GPA, but rather a summary of the grades received in their academic classes from 9th grade through the time in which they are applying for admission. The FAQ below is designed to address some of the more common questions we receive regarding this requirement.

Can you give me more information on how to enter this data and what courses to use?

When self-reporting your core academic grades, you should total all credits by academic year and record the accompanying grade sections. Generally, this means that for a student with semester grades, roughly 10 grades should be entered every year (if a student were to  take 5 core courses a year) and a student with only full year grades on their transcript will enter in roughly 5. Some students take slightly more or less core courses every year, so this is just an example and not the rule. In addition to this list, be sure to record the total number of AP, IB, AICE & DE courses throughout your entire high-school career. We look at all courses, including Honors courses, in our review, but you would not enter Honors course data within the AP/IB/AICE/DE sections as there is no standardization for Honors courses nationally.

As for what grades to enter, here is a list of courses to use broken down by subject area:

English Courses
Including English, Literature, Composition and Writing but not including reading, journalism, yearbook, speech/forensics, debate or similar courses

Math Courses
Including Algebra, Geometry, Algebra I/II/II, Math I/II/III/IV, Statistics, Trigonometry, Analysis and Calculus, but not including business courses, business math, remedial courses, accounting or similar courses

Social Science Courses
Including Geography, History, Government/Civics, Sociology, Art History, Psychology, Comparative Religion, Current Issues, Anthropology and Economics courses, but not including home/consumer economics, non-comparative religion courses, criminal justice, ethics, business law classes or similar courses

Science Courses
Including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, Ecology, Genetics, Zoology, Anatomy, Geology, Astronomy and Oceanography courses, but not including health courses, computer science, food or agricultural sciences or similar courses

World Language Courses
Including all World Language and Sign Language Courses

What if my school uses more than one type of grading term (semesters, block schedule, etc.)?

If only one grade is a different system from the rest, for instance a .5 credit semester grade for AP Government while all other grades are 1.0 credit grades, then just enter it in the same as your other grades. But if a large number of your grades are in two different types of terms (semester and block as an example), then the different credit types should be counted by the lowest common denominator. For example, the half-credit courses are counted once, while the 1.0 credit grades are counted twice. This will insure that 1.0 credit grades are given equal weight as your semester grades.

Should I include my 8th grade coursework or summer school grades?

Do not list grades from classes taken in middle school, even if they are HS level courses. Since different HS’s report 8th grade coursework differently (or not at all), UGA wants to be consistent with all applicants in their grade information. For summer core course grades, please list them within the prior year’s work. So if you have grades for the summer between 9th and 10th, enter them in the 9th grade year grades section.

What if I am submitting my application via the Common Application?

On the Common Application, we have the section for self-reported grades in the UGA specific area of the application. UGA does not use the more complex Common Application grades section, as we would rather have a system that is easier for most students, and also since most Common Application colleges do not require the Common App grades section.

What if I make a mistake on the self-reported grades section?

Do not worry about this, as UGA’s admissions office will verify the self-reported grades against the official transcript and make any needed corrections. The self-reported grades section allows our office to be more efficient in our academic review of a student’s transcript, thus helping to get decisions out in an earlier timeframe, and each transcript is reviewed to make sure we have the correct information.

What should I do if my school uses a numerical or plus/minus system?

Plus/Minus grades are not factored into grades you submit for UGA, so a B- and a B+ are treated as a B. Numerical grading systems should be converted to A-F Grades based on your high school’s grading scale. Your transcript or high school student handbook should list your school’s grading scale, or you can speak with your counselor about your school’s grading scale.

If I complete the self-reported grade report, do I still need to send in an official transcript?

An official High School transcript is required of all first-year applicants. Failure to provide an official transcript will result in an incomplete application. In addition, students who attend a Fulton County GA public high school need to submit an unofficial transcript that shows both weighted and unweighted grades, and they need to upload this document through their status portal after they apply.

How will UGA know about the rigor of my coursework?

When the Office of Admissions reviews rigor of curriculum, we are looking to see how you have challenged yourself throughout high school. How have you challenged yourself with what is available to you at your high school? We recognize that each high school is different, so we will always review you in the context of where you are enrolled. Part of that is having your high school counselor complete the school evaluation. In addition, we will also review your high school transcript and the courses that you are choosing to take senior year.

I have attended more than one high school, should I complete this form?

Yes, you need to complete this form even if you attended multiple high schools. For most students, your previous school’s work will be listed on your current transcript. If this is not the case, please use transcripts from all schools attended to complete this form.

Should I include grades from a mid-year report or that are in progress?

You should only include grades that are finalized and recorded on your current high school transcript. Senior year grades that are in progress should NOT be recorded on the self-reported grades form.

My school adds additional points to the teacher's grades for Honors/AP courses—what should I do?

You should report the teacher grades as they are listed on your transcript, so if the teacher grades have an added weight, do not remove this weight. UGA knows the policies of the schools and weighting, and we have a process in place to not add weight for AP/IB courses if your school already does this. If your high school lists both unweighted and weighted grades, use the unweighted grades in the form.

What will happen if I do not complete the self-reported grades section?

All eligible applicants are required to complete the Self-Reported grade form to the best of their ability. Failure to do so may result in delays in processing, decision and other problems.

What do I do with grades that are not -A-F, such as W, P or S grades?

Only enter in academic core grades that are A-F grades (or numerical grades that translate to these letter grades), as these are the grades that make up a GPA. Do not enter any other type of grades such as a Pass (P) or Satisfied (S) grade, as these cannot be used in a GPA calculation. We will see these on the transcript when we review the file as a whole.

I am an international student, should I complete this form?

International students who attends a school that does not use a standardized US grading scale do not need to complete this form.

I am a home-educated student, should I complete this form?

Yes, home-educated students should complete this form using the transcripts that are available to you. As well, home-educated students need to have the individual who oversees their schooling submit all the required documents.