TJ Admissions

TJHSST GPA Calculator

The core GPA FCPS uses for TJ eligibility, calculated the way FCPS calculates it. For students in Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William, Falls Church, and private schools.

1School

Enter the letter grade printed on the report card.

27th grade final gradesOne credit each
Mathe.g., Algebra 1 Honors
Sciencee.g., Science 7 Honors
Englishe.g., English 7 Honors
Social Studiese.g., US History 7 Honors
3Summer courseOptional
48th grade, first quarterA quarter credit each

Leave blank if these grades are not out yet. The calculator will show what you need.

Mathe.g., Geometry Honors
Sciencee.g., Science 8 Honors
Englishe.g., English 8 Honors
Social Studiese.g., Civics 8 Honors
Grades stay in your browser.
0.000 Keep adding grades

How the TJ GPA is calculated

The TJ GPA is not the GPA on a report card. FCPS builds a separate core GPA for TJ eligibility from 7th grade final marks and 8th grade first quarter marks in math, science, English, and social studies. A world language counts when it is taken for a full high school credit, and so does a summer high school credit course taken between 7th and 8th grade, such as summer Geometry. Every grade is converted to the FCPS 4.0 scale with no honors weighting.

The credit is the key detail. A 7th grade final mark covers the whole year, so it counts as a full credit. An 8th grade first quarter mark covers a quarter of the year, so it counts as a quarter credit. For most students, 7th grade makes up about 80 percent of the result.

Core GPA = quality points ÷ credits, where quality points are grade points × credit.

A worked example

A student earns an A- in 7th grade Algebra 1 and A’s in 7th grade science, English, and social studies. In the first quarter of 8th grade, they earn A’s in Geometry, science, English, civics, and Latin 2, taken for high school credit.

ClassGradePointsCreditQuality points
Algebra 1, 7th gradeA-3.713.7
Science, 7th gradeA4.014.0
English, 7th gradeA4.014.0
US History, 7th gradeA4.014.0
Geometry, 8th grade Q1A4.00.251.0
Science, 8th grade Q1A4.00.251.0
English, 8th grade Q1A4.00.251.0
Civics, 8th grade Q1A4.00.251.0
Latin 2, 8th grade Q1A4.00.251.0
Total5.2520.7

20.7 ÷ 5.25 = 3.9428…, so the TJ core GPA is 3.942. FCPS does not round, so it is not 3.943. At the end of 7th grade alone, the same student had 15.7 ÷ 4 = 3.925.

What counts, and what does not

Counts
7th grade final marks and 8th grade first quarter marks in math, science, English, and social studies. A world language taken for a full high school credit. A summer high school credit course between 7th and 8th grade, at a full credit.
Does not count
Electives, PE, health, music, and art. 6th grade grades, and 8th grade grades after the first quarter. Honors weighting: an honors A is still 4.0.
Rounding
None. FCPS uses the actual GPA, so a 3.499 does not meet the 3.5 requirement.
GradeAA-B+BB-C+CC-D+DF
Points4.03.73.33.02.72.32.01.71.31.00.0

Applying from outside Fairfax County

FCPS calculates every applicant’s GPA on its own scale, whichever school the student attends. Enter what is printed on the transcript and the calculator maps it over.

Loudoun County
Report cards can show an A+. For TJ, an A+ counts the same as an A, 4.0. Nothing counts above 4.0.
Arlington
Arlington does not give A- grades. Enter the letter printed on the report card; it maps onto the FCPS scale.
Prince William and Falls Church City
Enter the letter printed on the report card. It maps onto the FCPS scale below.
Private school and homeschool
Use the letter on the transcript. If the transcript shows percentages, choose that option in the calculator and it converts them with the FCPS 100-point scale.
Trimester schools
The first trimester of 8th grade stands in for the first quarter and carries the same quarter credit.
Anything else
If your grades do not fit these rules, the TJHSST Admissions Office can confirm how they convert. It calculates the official GPA during the admissions process.
How grades convert to the FCPS scale
LetterPercentageGPA points
A+ (Loudoun) or A93–1004.0
A-90–923.7
B+87–893.3
B83–863.0
B-80–822.7
C+77–792.3
C73–762.0
C-70–721.7
D+67–691.3
D60–661.0
FBelow 600.0

Percentage bands are the FCPS middle and high school 100-point scale.

Five common mistakes

  1. Using the weighted GPA. Portals often show a weighted number above 4.0. TJ uses the unweighted core GPA only.
  2. Averaging every class. Electives and PE are left out entirely. An A in band does not help, and a B in PE does not hurt.
  3. Counting 8th grade like 7th grade. A first quarter mark carries a quarter of the weight of a 7th grade final mark.
  4. Leaving out world language or summer courses. Both count when taken for high school credit, for better or worse.
  5. Rounding up. A 3.495 does not meet the 3.5 requirement.

GPA is one of four requirements

To apply for freshman admission, FCPS requires all four of these when the application opens:

  1. Algebra 1. A completed full-year Algebra 1 course, or current enrollment in full-year honors Algebra 1.
  2. Honors science. Current enrollment in honors science, or the highest level of 8th grade science the school offers.
  3. Honors English or social studies. Current enrollment in either, or identification as a Young Scholar.
  4. A 3.5 core GPA. Unweighted, calculated as shown on this page.

Applicants must also live in a participating division: Arlington, Fairfax County (including the City of Fairfax), Falls Church City, Loudoun, or Prince William. Once a student is eligible, FCPS reviews the core GPA together with the Student Portrait Sheet, the Problem-Solving Essay, and experience factors. More in our guide to the TJ GPA requirement and the TJ admissions overview.

2026–27 dates

End of 7th grade7th grade final marks are set. They carry most of the GPA.
Mon, Oct 5, 2026Application opens at 4 p.m. Course requirements are checked as of this date.
Fri, Oct 30, 2026Application deadline, 4 p.m.
By Thu, Dec 31, 2026FCPS notifies applicants who do not meet the honors course or GPA requirements.
Sat, Jan 9, 2027Student Portrait Sheet and Problem-Solving Essay.
By Fri, Apr 30, 2027Admission decisions.

FCPS notes that dates may change. See the full 2026–27 TJ admissions calendar.

Questions parents ask

You need an unweighted core GPA of 3.5 or higher. FCPS calculates it from 7th grade final marks and 8th grade first quarter marks in math, science, English, and social studies, plus world language if it is taken for a full high school credit. The 3.5 is an eligibility floor, not a target: it lets an otherwise eligible student apply, and it does not guarantee admission.

Only core classes: math, science, English, and social studies, plus world language when it is taken for a full high school credit. A summer high school credit course taken between 7th and 8th grade, such as summer Geometry, also counts. Electives, PE, health, music, and art do not count.

No. FCPS says courses are not weighted when the GPA is calculated. An A in an honors class counts as 4.0, the same as an A in any other class. Weighted GPAs, such as a 4.425 on a report card, do not count for TJ.

Only the first quarter. Each 8th grade first quarter core mark carries 0.25 credit, while each 7th grade final mark carries a full credit. That means 7th grade (plus any summer high school credit course) makes up about 80 percent of the calculation for most students.

Only by a little. FCPS says it is highly unlikely that 1st quarter 8th grade marks will lift a GPA below 3.5 at the end of 7th grade. For example, a student with a 3.40 after four 7th grade core classes needs about a 3.90 average in the first quarter, which is nearly straight A’s, to reach 3.5. A student with a 3.35 cannot reach 3.5 even with straight A’s. The calculator shows the exact first quarter average you need.

No. FCPS says GPA is actual GPA and is not rounded up or down. A 3.499 does not meet the 3.5 requirement. This calculator shows three decimal places and never rounds up.

Yes, but only when it is taken for a full high school credit. A 7th grade world language class taken for a full high school credit counts as a full credit, and an 8th grade one counts as a quarter credit through its first quarter mark. If you are not sure whether your class earns a full high school credit, ask your school counselor.

Yes, if the course is taken for high school credit. A summer course taken between 7th and 8th grade, such as summer Geometry, counts as a full credit, just like a 7th grade final mark. That can help or hurt, so it is worth doing well. Summer camps and enrichment classes that do not earn high school credit do not count.

Yes. FCPS calculates every applicant’s core GPA on the FCPS grading scale, whichever participating division or private school the student attends. Choose your school at the top of the calculator and enter the grade printed on the transcript. If you are unsure how your grades convert, the TJ Admissions Office can confirm.

An A+ counts the same as an A: 4.0. The TJ GPA tops out at 4.0, so an A+ earns no extra credit. Choose Loudoun in the calculator and A+ appears as an option.

Enter the letter printed on the Arlington report card, such as A, B+, or B. FCPS maps it onto its own scale. When you choose Arlington in the calculator, the A- option is removed.

Percentages map onto the FCPS 100-point scale: 93 to 100 is an A (4.0), 90 to 92 is an A- (3.7), 87 to 89 is a B+ (3.3), 83 to 86 is a B (3.0), and so on. Turn on “Transcript shows percentages” in the calculator to convert them automatically.

The first trimester of 8th grade stands in for the first quarter. Each first trimester core mark carries the same 0.25 credit. Turn on “School uses trimesters” in the calculator.

A 3.5 makes a student eligible, but it does not predict the decision. FCPS reviews core GPA together with the Student Portrait Sheet, the Problem-Solving Essay, and experience factors, and it does not publish a competitive GPA cutoff or how much GPA is weighted. For most eligible applicants, the Student Portrait Sheet and Problem-Solving Essay are where applications are won or lost.

Source. The core rules come from the FCPS TJHSST Eligibility Requirements page. The notes on summer courses and non-Fairfax transcripts reflect TJ Test Prep’s experience with how grades are handled. FCPS calculates the official GPA during the admissions process; for an official answer, contact the TJHSST Admissions Office. TJ Test Prep is an independent prep program and is not affiliated with FCPS or TJHSST. Last reviewed September 25, 2026.

Your GPA opens the door. The SPS and PSE decide what happens next.

See where your student stands on the parts of the application that are still ahead: one Student Portrait Sheet response and one Problem-Solving Essay, with a parent-friendly readiness report.

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