Weighted GPAs encourage higher academic standards as they encourage students to take more challenging academic classes. If an A grade is equal to an A grade regardless of the class and the circumstances in which it was earned, students may have less incentive to take a more academically rigorous course. They might as well take all easy courses to keep their GPAs high. But with the practice of the weighted GPA, students are more likely to take a chance on signing up for a more challenging course.
Students who work hard in honors or Advanced Placement classes are rewarded with higher GPAs than their counterparts who decided to take nonadvanced classes. In cases where they may have received a lower grade than if they had taken a nonadvanced class, the practice of weighting GPAs rewards them for their hard work and compensates them for the risk and willingness of taking a more academically rigorous course.
In the world of elite college admissions, 4.0 GPAs are a rather common sight. Some colleges even regularly turn away 4.0 GPAs because they receive too many applicants. In that atmosphere, admissions officers can have a hard time selecting the best applicants. However, with weighted GPAs in the mix, admissions officers can help top colleges make better admission decisions by accepting those top-ranked students who have opted to take more academically rigorous courses during their high school careers.
Weighted GPAs in effect increase the GPAs of more advanced students. This can help these students when they apply for academic scholarships, giving them the possibility to receive more money than they would have previously received or even beating out other students in the competition for scholarships.
Students who work hard, take academically demanding courses and earn good grades are rewarded with extra GPA points. This naturally has the effect of increasing the self-esteem of those students, showing them that their hard work and their choices have paid off with what amounts to extra credit.