Calculating GPA With Plus ans Minus Designations

[Reefgazer]

I am sure this question has been asked before, but I can't find the answer using the search feature, so here goes.  DD attended a local university last semester that uses (+) and (-) designations on the transcript they issue; she received an A- in her class.  She will be taking two courses at the local community college next year; they do not use (+) and (-) and just issue straight A-B-C letter grades.  In my homeschool, I have yet to decide what I am going to do, so I am open to either option.  My questions are : 

 

1)  How to I calculate a GPA that commingles the two methods?  Should I just use 3.7 points for the university grade?  How do I list that on my homeschool transcript; the university's way with (+) or (-), or my  way (if I decided to go with straight letter grades)?  I understand that I have to also send a university transcript to all colleges, but I also want this to count for a social studies credit, so it needs to be on my homeschool transcript, as well.

 

2)  Which option would be a better choice for the student?  I am trying to determine if I should use (+) and (-) grades on my transcript.

 

 

[Frances]

I think you should absolutely keep the college grade exactly as it is and assign it 3.7, regardless of what you decide about your own grades. My son took college classes at two different places in high school, a community college with no +/- and a LAC that used them, but didn’t give A+s. Then he went to a college that uses +/- and some professors, but not all, will give A+s. He applied to grad schools with no problem, so mixing is absolutely fine.

Interestingly, one of the professional programs he looked at recalculated everything with no +/- and it barely changed his GPA compared to when he did it using the grades exactly as given by the three different schools. I think anything you choose for your homeschool classes is fine, but I would always leave official college grades exactly as they are unless explicitly directed to do otherwise.