Why GPA is so important?

Most colleges place a high value on academic achievement, and in particular, they treat GPA as both strict and important. But why does it have to be GPA, and why is it often considered more important than SAT or AP exams?

First, we have to consider why colleges evaluate academic performance in the first place. Colleges are learning institutions. Therefore, admissions offices must gauge whether an applicant can keep up with the school’s curriculum and course rigor. While the SAT can help assess this, colleges look beyond mere readiness. They also use academic records to infer a student’s potential and effort. In this respect, GPA reflects not only academic ability but also consistency, diligence, and perseverance—qualities colleges value highly.

If we consider the difference between GPA and the SAT, at most colleges, applicants can choose which SAT score to submit (superscore). However, GPA must cover all semesters from 9th through 12th grade. In other words, colleges use GPA to see how steadily a student engaged with academics across four years and whether they quit or slacked off along the way. GPA cannot be cherry-picked by year; it shows the entire growth arc from 9th to 12th grade and therefore provides far richer information than a single test score.

For that reason, protecting your GPA is essential even when it’s difficult. While truly extraordinary activities or achievements can sometimes bolster a lower GPA or persuade admissions officers, they must be truly extraordinary or unique, which is why, for most students, prioritizing and maintaining a strong GPA is the far easier and wiser path.

And if your GPA is low right now, don’t be discouraged. As noted above, colleges read GPA not only as a measure of academic achievement but also as a signal of persistence and effort. If you can show sustained upward momentum, you can build the kind of “growth GPA” that admissions officers appreciate.

(※ This article is based on the author’s experience and collected sources. If anything is inaccurate or uncertain, please feel free to point it out so it can be corrected or supplemented. ※)