A recent revision in Korea University’s (KU) grade point average (GPA) percentile conversion has reignited an ongoing controversy regarding the GPA conversion system. The discrepancy between GPA conversions in different universities has continuously sparked heated debates as to its fairness in accurately assessing academic performance. For this month’s issue, The Granite Tower (GT) examines the details of the GPA frenzy, while further delving into the roots of the GPA conversion disputes in other Korean universities.

Going into effect from March 1st, KU has implemented a new grading system after long controversies surrounding the standards for GPA percentile conversion. GPA refers to an indicator that shows how high students scored in their courses on average. In recent years, major Korean universities have been debating over the necessity to revise the current GPA percentile conversion system, which translates 4.3 or 4.5 scale scores over to a 0 to 100 scale. The standards of translating the numbers differ for each school, which means that students who have received the same letter grade, for instance and A0 and a B+, can receive a different percentile score after being converted. This can later detrimentally affect job applications and graduate school admissions.

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

Unlike other grading systems, GPA percentile conversion is up to the discretion of each university. Although there have been voices calling for the integration of GPAs for all universities, the Ministry of Education (MOE) does not currently have a unified standard for GPA conversions. According to an interview with Yonhap News, an official from the MOE explained that, under the Higher Education Act, it is difficult for the MOE to be directly involved in university grading systems, as universities are given the autonomy to set their own guidelines.

Therefore, all Korean universities follow different calculation systems when converting GPAs over to a 0 to 100 scale. For instance, some follow the conversion formula of (average score) x 10 +55 while other universities use (average score) x 10 + 57. In this case, even if the initial GPA were to be the same, there can be significant differences in the final result after using different conversion formulas. Essentially, students from universities that use more beneficial conversion standards receive higher GPAs compared to other university students.

KU’s Changes to the System

The debate on the discrepancy of GPAs among universities has once more resurged after Yonsei University (YU) introduced new changes to their GPA conversion system last September. Students have raised their voices on how the differences in GPA conversion standards are causing unfairness in assessing student performance. The revision of Yonsei University’s GPA conversion formula has especially sparked fierce response from KU students as the collegiate online community Everytime was flooded with posts related to the GPA system, asking for changes to KU’s grading system as well.

Considering such collective opinions of KU students, the Korea University Student Union (KUSU) decided to implement changes to the current GPA conversion system, starting from March 2023. The GPA revision was also part of their campaign package of promises during the elections. Before the revision, the GPA conversion formula was 60+ {(average score-1) x 40/3.5} which has now been changed to 55+(average score) x 10. According to KUSU’s official announcement, as the new formula goes into effect, an average A0 will now increase by 0.7 points and a B+ will increase by 1.4 points in the final scores scaled to 0 to 100. Furthermore, the new formula will significantly reduce the percentage point drop, unlike the previous formula, which resulted in a 1.2-point reduction for every 0.1 point drop in the initial GPA. The revised GPA system will be applied for all KU graduates and undergraduates who have been admitted since 1973.

The Never-Ending Chicken Game

Following the GPA revision in YU and KU, there have been discussions for correcting GPA conversion formulas in other major Korean universities as well, including Seoul National University (SNU), Hanyang University (HYU), Sungkunkwan University (SKKU), and many more. Eventually, the endless demands for rectifying GPA systems will continue unless all universities agree to use the same conversion system. Due to the differences in university GPA conversions, there will always be those who feel unfairly disadvantaged by the injustice of the system.

The main reason the GPA debate is becoming so heated is partly due to the so-called “Law School craze” which has been evident in the past few years. According to JobsN, Korea’s largest job content company established in collaboration with Chosun Ilbo and Naver, 14, 620 examinees took the 2023 Legal Education Eligibility Test (LEET), which is the largest number of examinees since its first implementation in 2009. The number of examinees has shown a continuous increase over the past six years. The augmented popularity of Law School can be understood in relation to the increasing preference for professional jobs following the current unemployment crisis in Korea. Those who are applying to Law School not only need a high score on the LEET but should also have high GPAs as well. This explains why higher GPA conversions are so important for Law School applicants as each point holds great value.

Universities are indeed obligated to ensure their students are not relatively disadvantaged by unfavorable GPA conversions that can potentially influence their pursuit of future careers. However, the endless chicken game of criticizing other universities for unfairly modifying their GPAs, revising GPA formulas as a response, and immediately sparking controversies from other universities does not seem rational or beneficial. In fact, there are some universities, such as Brown University in the United States, that do not employ the GPA system at all. According to an official statement from Brown university, they have completely eliminated the calculation of GPAs since 1969 and instead use different criteria such as student portfolios, Course Performance Reports, and letters of recommendation.

GPAs can no longer be an accurate measure of academic performance if it requires not only hard work but also favorable conversion formulas. Rather than continuing the never-ending competition of who tweaks their GPA to come up with the highest results, it is time to question whether the current GPA system is serving the initial purpose as an effective and reliable indicator. If not, there needs to be a better solution that will finally end the tedious GPA battle across all Korean universities.