Ever since Covid-19 struck, our world has been upside down. After two years of all the college campuses being closed, they are finally making their comeback. Slowly, but surely, college campuses are going to allow outsider visitors. 

It is important to make your rounds to visit each college that you are looking to attend. This is an important part of your college admissions application process because you may not end up liking the college atmosphere, campus, or campus culture. You may even end up liking a different college campus more than you were originally anticipating, so it’s important to visit these campuses before applying or accepting an offer letter.

We’re going to run you through a list of colleges and their guidelines for reopening on-site visitation. Keep in mind that not all colleges are reopening for visits, so be sure to read the list closely.

Colleges Reopening for On-Campus Visits

The list you are about to read is in alphabetical order and also doesn’t list all of the colleges that are reopening. If you don’t see your desired college on this list, feel free to conduct your own research and look up if the college of your choice is hosting on-site visits again.

How to Make the Most Out of On-Campus Visits​

The next thing to consider once you find out which colleges are open for visitation is how to make the most out of your trip. It’s important that all of your questions are answered throughout your tour. Let’s run through a few notes to remember while you are visiting colleges.

Come Prepared

It would be a shame for you to be distracted from the college tour because you are hungry or thirsty. It’s important to give the college tour your undivided attention. Before you go on your trip, plan out everything that you need to bring on the tour rather than packing everything at the last second. Remember that you will also be walking a fair amount, so wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Bring your water bottle, snacks, and a notebook so you can write notes about the campus. A way to determine your preferred college would be to write down the pros and cons of each campus and review them at the end of your college tours.

Have Your Questions Ready

Another thing to have prepared before your college tour is all of the questions you need to have answered to ensure this college is the one for you. Learn more about the college you want to attend, the location of certain study rooms/classes, how the campus lifestyle is, and how it can support you. 

Follow Safety Protocols

Reminder that colleges are slowly reopening due to covid-19 restrictions. Many colleges have their own safety guidelines in place, including submitting a negative COVID-19 test, proof of vaccination, and/or completing a health screening. Make sure you adhere to these guidelines so that you can safely enjoy the campus and make the most of your touring experience. Happy touring!

Check out our College Campus Tour Checklist

What If Your College Isn’t Open For On-Campus Visits

There’s no need to worry if your dream college isn’t open for on-site campuses. There are alternative solutions out there for you. Even since the pandemic, having to readjust and adapt to new solutions virtually for new college students isn’t a new thing. Let’s go over some alternative solutions for you.  

Sign-Up For Virtual Information Session

One of the first options that you can endure is to sign up for a virtual information session. Typically this is led by an admissions officer or the Dean of Admissions. The exact topics that are covered are essay writing, the admissions process, financial aid, extracurricular activities, and the campus lifestyle. There will also be a time for you to present any additional questions you might have. This is the perfect opportunity to read the list of questions you have already prepared if they were not already answered.  

Do Your Own Research

If you are unsure of alternative solutions in finding the answers to your questions, do your own research. Each college should have a fairly up-to-date website as well as a social media platform. Make sure to pay close attention to all those different mediums and find out everything you need to know. There are also phone numbers accessible to potential college students which means you’ll be able to talk to the administration office. They should have the answers to your questions. 

Sign-Up For Virtual Tours

Lastly, since the pandemic, virtual tours have been the new wave of visiting your potential college. They’ll give you the option to schedule a virtual tour which oftentimes is student-led. Most virtual tours can take up to an hour to provide you with a true walkthrough of the campus and its buildings. If the tour is live, the same rules apply as above, stay prepared. If there are certain questions that you are looking to find answers to, ask them. Happy college touring!   

Key Takeaways For College Tours

If you are planning on attending on-campus or virtual tours, make sure to ensure a campus visit is scheduled. This is a vital part of the college admissions process. This determines where you end up living for the next few years of your life. Ensure it is the right decision for you.

Virtual visits

You’re probably wondering what the difference between a weighted and unweighted GPA is, or perhaps more broadly, what a GPA is in general. GPA stands for Grade Point Average and is a tool used by schools to reflect how well students are performing in their classes. Cumulative GPAs are calculated by averaging a student’s grades throughout all four years of high school and assigning it a numerical value.

In this article, we will outline the differences between weighted vs unweighted GPAs. We will also discuss the question, do colleges look for weighted or unweighted GPAs? So, if you’re wondering what does weighted and unweighted GPAs mean? Continue reading for a full explanation!

Weighted and unweighted GPA meanings

The primary difference between weighted and unweighted GPAs is that a weighted GPA takes course difficulty into account, whereas an unweighted GPA does not.

College admissions officers work with both weighted and unweighted GPAs. That said, in addition to having a high GPA, college admissions officers want to admit students who are willing to challenge themselves. This is why it’s important to design your course load strategically and enroll in as many advanced classes as you can reasonably manage.

If you are trying to decide how many AP classes to take, you may want to look at a list of AP classes with their passing rates.

What Is an unweighted GPA?

An unweighted GPA is calculated on a 0-4 scale. This means that the highest GPA you can have is a 4.0 (this is not the case with a weighted GPA). Unweighted GPAs do not differentiate between regular, Honors, and AP classes. This means that an A is A, and a B is a B, regardless of the difficulty of the class.

What Is a weighted GPA?

Weighted GPAs take course difficulty into account, awarding extra points to students enrolled in advanced courses. If your high school calculates class rank, weighted GPAs are often a better indication of which students are the most academically gifted. After all, earning an A in an AP class is a lot more challenging than earning an A in a regular class! Overall, high schools use weighted GPAs as a way to recognize students taking Honors and AP courses.

Although weighted GPA systems vary from school to school, the most common system is calculated on a scale of 0-5. So what does this look like in practice?

Schools that use this method award an extra point to students enrolled in an AP course and an extra 0.5 for students enrolled in an Honors course. Let’s take a look at two of these examples.

Example 1:

  • If a student earns an A in a regular class, their GPA is 4.0.
  • If a student earns an A in an Honors class, their GPA is 4.5.
  • If a student earns an A in an AP class, their GPA is 5.0.

Example 2:

  • If a student earns a B- in a regular class, their GPA is 2.7.
  • If a student earns a B- in an Honors class, their GPA is 3.2.
  • If a student earns a B- in an AP class, their GPA is a 3.7.

What Is a good weighted GPA for the Ivy League?

The highest weighted GPA a student can earn is a 5.0. If you are interested in attending a highly-selective school, such as an Ivy League institution, and have a weighted GPA, you should strive to get as close to a 5.0 as you can. Although having a 4.0 is a great accomplishment, be sure to adjust your standards if your school calculates weighted GPAs.

How to calculate your GPA

Calculating your GPA can feel overwhelming at first. Thankfully, though, it’s pretty easy to do! In this section, we’ll discuss how to calculate weighted and unweighted GPAs. Let’s start with unweighted GPAs:

Letter Grade

Percentage

GPA

A+

97-100

4.0

A

93-96

4.0

A-

90-92

3.7

B+

87-89

3.3

B

83-86

3.0

B-

80-82

2.7

C+

77-79

2.3

C

73-76

2.0

C-

70-72

1.7

D+

67-69

1.3

D

65-66

1.0

F

Below 65

0.0

Now, let’s take a look at how to calculate your cumulative GPA. Once you calculate your GPA for each class, add all of your individual GPAs together and divide by the number of classes you’ve taken.

For example, say you took six classes and earned two A’s (4.0, 4.0), an A- (3.7), two B’s (3.0, 3.0), and a C (2.0). To figure out your cumulative GPA, add 4.0+4.0+3.7+3.0+3.0+2.0 and divide by 6 (the number of classes you took). According to our calculations, your cumulative GPA is 3.28.

If you want to calculate your cumulative GPA for all four years of high school, repeat this process with all of your grades!

Do colleges look at weighted or unweighted GPAs?

Some high schools calculate weighted GPAs, while others calculate unweighted GPAs. Although each school varies, it’s important to realize that colleges are not “tricked” by which type of GPA you submit. Some colleges will even recalculate each applicant’s GPA to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

While your high school GPA is an important college admissions factor, colleges do not look at your GPA out of context. They are equally concerned with the level of course rigor you are capable of handling. At the end of the day, college admissions officers want to admit students who are willing and able to challenge themselves by taking advanced courses.

Therefore, a student with a 4.0 enrolled in all regular classes will not be as competitive of an applicant as a student with a 3.7 (or perhaps even a 3.3) who enrolled in several AP and Honors courses. This means that even if your high school does not calculate weighted GPAs, you should still take plenty of AP classes!

Should I report a weighted or unweighted GPA?

You’re likely wondering, is a weighted or unweighted GPA better? And do colleges care more about weighted or unweighted GPAs?

Colleges look at both weighted and unweighted GPAs and adjust their standards accordingly when reviewing college applications. Therefore, if you’re trying to decide whether to submit a weighted or unweighted GPA, don’t spend too much time worrying! Colleges are well-versed in the differences between a weighted GPA and an unweighted GPA and can evaluate each one effectively.

Key takeaways and moving forward

In conclusion, is a weighted or unweighted GPA better? While neither one has a clear advantage over the other, weighted GPAs are often viewed as being a more accurate depiction of a student’s potential. Don’t worry too much about whether you should submit a weighted or unweighted GPA. Colleges are used to navigating these two different systems! So again, in response to the question, what GPA do colleges look at, weighted or unweighted?, the answer is both.