A GPA of 3.5 corresponds to an average grade somewhere between B+ and A-. A lot of students achieve this grade point average: https://qz.com/1032183/no-wonder-y

A GPA of 3.5 corresponds to an average grade somewhere between B+ and A-. A lot of students achieve this grade point average: https://qz.com/1032183/no-wonder-young-americans-feel-so-important-when-half-of-them-finish-high-school-as-a-students/ https://qz.com/1032183/no-wonder-young-americans-feel-so-imp... claims that 47% of high school graduates achieve at least an A- average. This is almost certainly less selective than whatever they were doing with the entrance exam. A big part of this is grade inflation -- it's easier to earn an A now than it was in 1990. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2011462.pdf https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2011462.pd... is a good report on how grades have changed.