Clarification on how TESU calculates GPA

[AZDan]

The TESU website has me confused. I currently have four classes remaining for my BSBA and I have no idea what my GPA is. The GPA box on my transcript is blank.

I transferred in 42 RA credits (18 more credits are in my "other courses" section) and my GPA for the applied credits by my calculation is 2.73. Over the past four months I have completed 17 courses through Sophia and Study.com which are CRs on my transcripts.

The four classes I am taking through TESU currently are three OL classes and one will be a TECEP. I believe I will have an A,A, and B for the OL courses and a CR for the TECEP. 

So what is my GPA?
I don't think the "other courses" will have any impact on my GPA, right?
The Sophia and Study courses will not have any GPA whatsoever?
Will my graduating GPA only be the three OL courses I am taking through TESU or will they combine with my other RA credits?

I am working on applying to a B&M MBA program which has the requirement of a GPA of 2.75 overall or 3.0 for last 60 credits, and I have no idea where I stand. I think I'm close. 

Any help from you experts is appreciated!

[bjcheung77]

Re-posting my brief answer: Internal GPA is only calculated with courses you have taken with the school, they do not take account external GPA.  Courses you transfer from ACE will not affect the GPA either.  So, essentially, TESU will only give you a GPA on X number of courses you complete with them.   Note: You should try using a gpa calculator to test things out, like this one: https://www.calculator.net

I don't think the "other courses" will have any impact on my GPA, right?  - CORRECT, no affect on TESU GPA
The Sophia and Study courses will not have any GPA whatsoever? - CORRECT, no affect on internal GPA
Will my graduating GPA only be the three OL courses I am taking through TESU or will they combine with my other RA credits? - Just the 3.

So what is my GPA? It depends on how the school is going to weigh your credits from each institution...  For example, they may weigh your last 30 credits completed higher than the first 30 credits you completed years ago.  But generally, they'll look at the overall grade through amount of courses from each school and number of credits taken at the school and/or average them out.

[AZDan]

Re-posting my brief answer: Internal GPA is only calculated with courses you have taken with the school, they do not take account external GPA.  Courses you transfer from ACE will not affect the GPA either.  So, essentially, TESU will only give you a GPA on X number of courses you complete with them.   Note: You should try using a gpa calculator to test things out, like this one: https://www.calculator.net

I don't think the "other courses" will have any impact on my GPA, right?  - CORRECT, no affect on TESU GPA
The Sophia and Study courses will not have any GPA whatsoever? - CORRECT, no affect on internal GPA
Will my graduating GPA only be the three OL courses I am taking through TESU or will they combine with my other RA credits? - Just the 3.

So what is my GPA? It depends on how the school is going to weigh your credits from each institution...  For example, they may weigh your last 30 credits completed higher than the first 30 credits you completed years ago.  But generally, they'll look at the overall grade through amount of courses from each school and number of credits taken at the school and/or average them out.

Thanks, I don't understand the benefit of the Internal GPA. How does that help those that need a cumulative GPA or even a certain GPA over their last 60 credits?

Based on what you explained, and if my assumptions on my TESU courses is correct, my Internal GPA will be 3.67 (two As and one B). While this sounds good, this Internal doesn't seem to matter much at all. My overall GPA will then be "it depends". It depends on how the MBA program evaluates the ACE CRs on my transcripts and applies a letter grade to the percentage shown on the transcripts?

It almost seems like when I am asked by the MBA admissions program what my GPA is, it seems like I'm saying "I don't know. Can you take a look at my transcripts and tell me?"

[bjcheung77]

Let's pretend you are applying to an MBA and it will use "cumulative averages" for each school or each year you have taken at a college or a university. Since you mentioned you have a 2.73 or 2.74, let's pretend the 42 credits you have are split with the following:  10 B's, 1 C+, 3 C's for 42 credits - if you calculate that, you have a current 2.74 GPA.  If you add the TESU GPA, you get this: 51 credits and a 2.90 GPA.  Here is the calculation: (3×4+3×4+3×3+42×2.74) / (3+3+3+42) = 2.90

To view this better (or picture it clearly) Here's a website: https://gpacalculator.net/college-gpa-calculator/ create 4 semesters, enter in the above info, 10 B's, 1 C+, 3C's (doesn't matter how you split it, just make sure you have the same amount listed, you then add the TESU info into the 4th and final semester.  I did 2 semesters with 5 B's each, and a crap semester of 1 C+ and 3 C's, then a 4th semester of your 2 A's and 1 B.  It also calculated a 2.90 GPA

If you have tuition assistance or reimbursement from work you may consider taking a course or two to bump up the GPA, you can take them at a community college or something and try to get an A on those two courses.  Otherwise, your application should be sufficient for a majority of the not really competitive schools, they will take an overall look at your application, not just GPA.  I would not try the for-profits unless it's a last resort, heck go for WGU before you try a for-profit.

[AZDan]

Good stuff. I definitely thought of going to a community college or something to raise the 3 D's that I have but, ugh, those classes were miserable. Spanish, Macroeconomics, and Metorology. (For the record, I am of hispanic background and I don't speak a word of Spanish, okay maybe two words).

The MBA programs I am interested in are not as competitive so I might want to wait and see how they apply my CRs and if they accept me, great. But if not, then I will need to improve those D's.

[Merlin]

Good stuff. I definitely thought of going to a community college or something to raise the 3 D's that I have but, ugh, those classes were miserable. Spanish, Macroeconomics, and Metorology. (For the record, I am of hispanic background and I don't speak a word of Spanish, okay maybe two words).

The MBA programs I am interested in are not as competitive so I might want to wait and see how they apply my CRs and if they accept me, great. But if not, then I will need to improve those D's.

In addition to everything mentioned above, keep in mind that most grad schools will ignore ACE credits entirely. As if you never took the course. So while they won't count for or against your transfer GPA, they could impact your ability to meet entrance requirements. For example, many MBA programs will require you to have completed specific business courses with a particular grade (typically a B or better) to meet entrance requirements. These classes typically include courses like finance, economics, statistics, etc. You'll need to check the degree program's entrance requirements to get the specific list and required scores. If you don't meet the entrance requirements because you didn't take the courses (or took them from an ACE provider) or you didn't meet the specific grade requirement, they may just deny your application. Alternatively, if everything else meets the requirements, the school may provisionally accept you, but with the stipulation that you must (re-)take those undergrad "leveling courses" from them and achieve a minimum grade during your first term or two or be dropped from the program.

For anyone who is interested in pursuing grad school, we always recommend that people research the entry requirements at the schools they are most interested in before completing their undergrad degree plan. That way they can ensure that any required courses can be taken from RA sources instead of from ACE providers. Likewise, if the school has a credit minimum for transfer GPA purposes (many schools want to look at your 30 or 60 highest-level credits for GPA purposes) you can plan for that and take some extra RA courses from community colleges, etc.

[bjcheung77]

Good stuff. I definitely thought of going to a community college or something to raise the 3 D's that I have but, ugh, those classes were miserable. Spanish, Macroeconomics, and Metorology. (For the record, I am of hispanic background and I don't speak a word of Spanish, okay maybe two words).

The MBA programs I am interested in are not as competitive so I might want to wait and see how they apply my CRs and if they accept me, great. But if not, then I will need to improve those D's.

You shouldn't need to worry too much about the GPA, I actually responded to a similar post of yours a couple of months ago.  There is an option for most schools to accept you and that's through conditional acceptance.  The reason is simple, they're not Ivy League schools, they don't get a crazy number of applicants, but they're not an "easy to get into school" either; moreover, they want "good" students that will succeed in their programs.

It all boils down to they wanting your business and keeping their recognition/reputation in tact...  Here's my previous post: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid317718 - Just for kicks, you may want to read the last part of this thread post, it shows an example of how I would get into a Masters program and two options to do it: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid305604 - there are other ways to get in, and other criteria schools look into, not all on GPA.