A perfect unweighted GPA is 4.0. Somehow, one Florida graduate's accomplishment of nearly three times that mark has sparked a change to the weighted grading system in his area.
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Vaibhav Bhaskar, 17, recently graduated from Steinbrenner High School with an 11.99 weighted GPA. His high marks beat out the Sunshine State's previous top 11.84 grade point average, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Bhaskar, who will attend Duke University to study finance and economics, described his process to achieving such a remarkable feat.
"I have a whiteboard in my room, and I listed five goals on it for my high school career back when I was a sophomore," Bhaskar told the New York Post. The teenage genius said that his mission was to "become valedictorian" and "break the state GPA record."
Once he established his goals, he knew all that was left was execution.
"Once I had those goals defined, and I had the mindset that I was going to accomplish those goals no matter what. From then on, it just became about patience."
"So, I would say balance is an important thing."
To achieve his 11.99 GPA, Bhaskar took 44 Advanced Placement and dual college enrollment classes. The Palm Beach Post reported that by the time Bhaskar received his diploma, he also had enough credits for an associate's degree.
The sheer volume of classes helped him shatter the maximum weighted GPA.
Bhaskar's High Marks Prompted Change to GPA Policy
Hillsborough County school officials commended Bhaskar but also used the teen's GPA as the catalyst for a policy shift.
Many schools lack a GPA ceiling, which can incentivize students to stockpile their course load to impress potential college recruiters.
Now, some schools are relying on the Honors Point Average system, averaging grades instead of stacking them. The change is also aimed at reducing student burnout.
"Under the School District of Palm Beach County HPA system, accelerated courses (AP, AICE, IB, Dual Enrollment) max out at a point value of 6.0 for an 'A,'" Steven King, media relations specialist for the School District of Palm Beach County, told the Palm Beach Post.
"Since the District uses an average system, dividing total points by total classes, rather than an additive system, the absolute mathematical ceiling for a Palm Beach County graduate is a perfect 6.0 HPA."
Despite benefiting from the previous system, Bhaskar supports the new system.
"I actually absolutely agree with the change because it's a way more standardized way to calculate GPAs," he said.
He added that "my 11.99 GPA on our district's scale probably translates to a 4.93 on a standard 5.0 scale."
He also noted that "regardless of the scale, colleges will recalculate your GPA."
