In order to be eligible for a 2024 Carson Scholarship or to receive 2024 Carson Scholar Recognition, students must have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.75 or above on a 4.0 scale in the combined academic subjects: English/Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Languages.
Applicants must submit an official report card for the 2023-2024 school year. It is likely that only a 1st or 2nd quarter report card is available by our deadline – that is completely acceptable. Do not submit a report card from a previous school year. Do not submit a transcript. Report cards should clearly state the student and school name.
This video explains our GPA calculation Rules and Policies and walks through some examples of how CSF would calculate GPA. Please review this video first before contacting CSF with GPA calculation questions.
1. I only have grades for the first quarter of this school year. What report card should I submit?
You should submit your first quarter grades. We calculate GPAs based on what is available at the time of our application deadline. Since this varies from school to school, please submit the most recent grades you have. Do NOT submit a prior year report card or a transcript.
2. I do not have any grades yet for this school year. What should I do?
If you do not yet have any grades for this school year, a school official (teacher, counselor, or administrator) must estimate your grades based on your performance this school year up to the time of our application deadline. This estimate should be submitted with the rest of the application packet, written on school letterhead, and signed by the school official. You cannot submit a report card after our deadline.
3. My school uses standards based reporting. Am I eligible?
Many elementary schools are using standards based reporting. If a student is “proficient” or “meeting the standards” in more than half of the academic standards on their report card, they would be eligible for our scholarship program. Academic standards would include those within the subjects of English/Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Languages.
4. My school uses an alternative grading system (one that is not covered by the GPA conversion chart), or does not calculate GPAs.
Our scholarship program is based on students meeting a minimum GPA requirement. For this reason, to be eligible, you must at least have an estimated GPA. If your school uses an alternative grading system, or does not normally calculate GPAs, a school official (teacher, counselor, or administrator) must estimate your GPA on a 4.0 scale based on your performance this school year up to the time of our application deadline. This estimate should be submitted with the rest of the application packet, written on school letterhead, and signed by the school official.
5. My school categorizes course levels in a way that is not covered by your Weight Conversion Chart. Is my GPA still weighted?
No. In order to be fair to our applicants from across the country, we need to abide by standardized language in determining which courses can be weighted. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot accept alternative classifications of course levels; the time required to research these classifications is beyond our capacity.
6. How do I know which of my elective courses count toward my GPA?
In general, assume that your elective courses do not count. Exceptions are made when elective courses in a subject area take the place of a more traditional course in a student’s schedule, i.e. when a student is taking a “British Literature” course and does not have a standard “English” course. Elective courses that never count include religion, art, music, and physical education. If you are unsure if your elective course will count, and this will make a difference in whether or not you meet the 3.75 minimum GPA, please send an email to scholarship@carsonscholars.org. In addition to explaining the course in question, the email should include a list of all of your course names as they appear on your report card.
7. Is ‘pre-AP’ a weighted course?
No, ‘pre-AP’ is not a recognized term for weighting a grade in our GPA calculation.
8. I’m taking classes at my high school and at a local college. I’m involved in the dual enrollment program. Are those classes weighted?
Yes, if you are involved in a dual enrollment course and are taking a college level course and receiving college credit for it, those courses are weighted by one point. Your report card (or transcript from the college) must clearly reflect that it is a college class.
9. I still have a question.
If you still have a question, please contact our scholarship team, at 410.828.1005 or scholarship@carsonscholars.org.