Is a 3.6 College GPA Good Enough to Get You Into University?

A 3.6 GPA is a great indicator of your academic success in high school. It means you've been receiving mostly A's in your classes and have challenged yourself in your courses. Your hard work has paid off and your high GPA will cause most admissions officers to consider your application favorably. It's a good idea to complete your college application with good standardized test scores and a variety of extracurricular activities to support your GPA and help push your application to acceptance.

The average high school grade point average is around 3.0, or a GPA of B, which is the minimum requirement for many college scholarships, although 3.5 or more is generally preferred. The GPA, or grade point average, is a simplified number used by colleges and universities to get an idea of their overall academic performance. It takes the average of all high school grades and adjusts them on a scale of 0.01 to 4.0 and the numbers are correlated with letter grades. A GPA of 3.6 correlates with an A- average, indicative of an academic record that consists of good grades in all subjects. So, if you have a 3.6 GPA, you have a good chance of being accepted to quite a few selective universities.

Yes, 3.6 is well above the US average and there are many excellent state and private universities to choose from, where 3.6 is within the typical GPA range of accepted students. While 3.6 is a little low for highly selective colleges, it gives you a big break in many of the most selective schools in the US. Typically, students graduate cum laude (Latin means with praise) when they score a 3.5-3.7 average, magna cum laude (with high praise) when they score a 3.7-3.9 average, and summa cum laude (with the highest praise) when they score a 3.9 or higher average. For example, if the average freshman had a GPA of 3.6, you should also try to get a GPA of at least 3.6.Start applying for each and every scholarship you're eligible for because even small amounts can go a long way toward offsetting the cost of college tuition. For example, a recent art history graduate applying for a museum curator position might choose to disclose their GPA if it is particularly high (3.5 or higher). Colleges and universities are looking for well-rounded students who dedicate time and passion to after-school clubs and organizations, community service projects, or sports teams. In conclusion, having a 3.6 GPA is well above the national average of 3.0 for all high school graduates and puts you in contention for admission into many excellent state and private universities across the US.