Is an A Grade Really An A? 

A+ or A- Those Pluses and Minuses Count in your grade!

Going the extra mile to get an A in a class instead of an A- or getting a B+ instead of a B can be very worthwhile while at Miami.  The hard work you put into getting the grade you truly want in a class will be rewarded with plentiful job opportunities and graduate school options.

The college grading system can be confusing, especially coming from a high school that does not use pluses and minuses.  At the University of Miami, pluses and minuses affect the GPA of the student with the exception of an A+ and an A. Therefore, it is important to understand the grading scale.

Grade Scale

A+  4.00

A    4.00

A-   3.70

B+  3.30

B    3.00

B-   2.70

C+  2.30

C    2.00

C-   1.70

D+ 1.30

D    1.00

F     0

Some students at Miami may end the semester with a W or a withdrawal and these classes do not affect a student’s GPA.  Usually, a student understands the classes that need to be withdrawn from in order to preserve their GPA going into final exams.

It is important for students to understand how important doing well on finals can be and getting an A instead of an A- can influence if you get into a graduate school or not.  Schools today are only getting more competitive so it is always important to try to get the best grade that you can. Students at the University of Miami who graduate with the following GPAs according to their school will receive the attached Latin Honors distinctions:

Students should ultimately want to do their best in college and having a strong understanding of your school’s grading system will help you in achieving that goal.

Carter Krouse, UM Intern

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