un grad ed ,’ ▁meaning ▁a ▁grade ▁was ▁not ▁secured . ▁Other ▁letters ▁such ▁as ▁X ▁also ▁exist ▁in ▁special ▁circumstances . ▁ ▁In ▁Wales , ▁the ▁grad ing ▁is ▁still ▁from ▁A * ▁( high est ) ▁to ▁G ▁( low est ). ▁U ▁is ▁a ▁fail . ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁ ▁Most ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁award ▁a ▁letter ▁grade ▁A ▁( best ), ▁B , ▁C , ▁D , ▁or ▁F ▁( fail ) ▁for ▁each ▁class ▁taken ▁( pot entially ▁with ▁+ ▁or ▁- ▁mod ifiers ). ▁These ▁letter ▁gr ades ▁are ▁then ▁used ▁to ▁calculate ▁a ▁G PA ▁from ▁ 0 ▁to ▁ 4 . 0 ▁using ▁a ▁formula , ▁where ▁ 4 . 0 ▁is ▁the ▁best . ▁The ▁average ▁G PA ▁is ▁ 3 . 3 ▁at ▁private ▁institutions ▁and ▁ 3 . 0 ▁at ▁public ▁institutions . ▁ ▁Vari ous ▁colleg es , ▁such ▁as ▁Ever green ▁State ▁College ▁and ▁Ham pshire ▁College , ▁do ▁not ▁use ▁traditional ▁gr ades . ▁Brown ▁University , ▁an ▁I vy ▁League ▁school , ▁does ▁not ▁calculate ▁grade ▁point ▁aver ages , ▁and ▁all ▁classes ▁can ▁be ▁taken ▁on ▁a ▁pass / fail ▁basis . ▁Additionally , ▁several ▁high ▁schools ▁have ▁decided ▁to ▁for go ▁gr ades . ▁A ▁notable ▁example ▁is ▁Saint ▁Ann ' s ▁School ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁which ▁was ▁ranked ▁by ▁the ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁as ▁the ▁number ▁one ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁having ▁the ▁highest ▁percentage ▁of