by Payton Cleary

The GPA (grade point average) grading system in the United States has been around for 125 years. Scientists believed the GPA system emerged in the 20th century. Often it is the case that a better GPA carries more weight when colleges are considering student applications.

But..how much should the GPA matter? 

When asked about if GPA should be a deciding factor to get into college, Mr. Krocke, a science teacher at Southeast stated, ¨I think that GPA is the best tool we currently have for post-secondary education admissions, as it is a measure of knowledge acquired and effort expended during your earlier years of education.¨ There is evidence that GPA can be stressful for students. When asked if GPA and stress go together, Mr Krocke said, ¨I think that it depends on the student. GPA is often used to discern promising applicants in post-secondary education [college]. Some students are not thinking that far ahead yet due to a variety of factors in their lives.These students tend to worry more about getting their credit to graduate and worry less about what their GPA is. If students don't have good coping strategies it may impact their mental health.”

Students have strong opinions on the GPA as well.  A senior at Southeast, Miracle Cobb, stated, ¨I feel like it should matter in some cases, especially for colleges, to know how experienced you are in certain subjects.¨ Cobb emphasized the importance of the GPA for career choices as well. ¨If you want to be a nurse and go to a college that is the best in the state, they have to make sure you're serious and have a good work ethic. Your GPA is a reflection of that,¨ she said.

There are certain years in high school where stress can be more impactful. Cobb stated, "GPA is extremely stressful, especially when you're a junior and senior. I feel like there are healthier systems that can be used in place of GPA.¨

Senior Benjamin Alonso also expressed his point of view on the importance associated with the GPA. ¨I think it is important but not as important as they make it out to be. I think activities outside or within school should be valued higher than GP, because passing a class is a lot easier than showing actual curiosity and wanting to learn," he said.

When the topics of stress and GPA both exist, Alonso did not see a connection. ¨I don't think GPA is stressful and I think a lot of people could have a higher GPA by just putting enough effort to do the work,¨ he said.

Many other countries have different ways of  handling GPA , In the UK, the system looks at the overall result of your assessments and coursework completed rather than one number being based on your average. France uses a 20 point grading system. In French schools, 20 is the highest and 10 is the minimum for passing. In Italy Colleges do individual assessments or exams marked out of 30.

While opinions on the importance of GPA vary, the justification of measuring it for the college admissions process is still present. Although the power of a simple number could lead to stress, it is still the method used to measure success.