Will this grade be replaced?

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frosted_flake

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Hey everyone, I wanted to get some opinions on a course I am taking replacing another.

School A: I took a botany course at my previous institution, and got a D- (4 credit hours, includes lab)
Course catalog description:
A survey of the plant kingdom with emphasis on phylogeny, development, physiology, and reproduction. Plant ecology and systematics will be included.

School B: I am currently at my new school and I am taking a biology 2 course- with an emphasis on botany. I am on track to get an A/A+ (5 credit hours, lab included)
Course catalog description:
One year of high school chemistry or one semester of college chemistry. Fundamental principles of biology for students considering a biology major or students with high school science background. Principles of evolution, systematics, diversity and ecology, and plant biology.

Will I need verification that these two courses were similar? What type of documentation would I need? We have covered the same if not more in my current course.
I know MD schools average and DO schools replace, I was hoping to get an adcom members feedback on the matter. @Goro, @Catalystik

(I have previously posted about this, and have been told by a few people I should repeat since it is a D in a science course. However if this course I am currently in could count, it would save me a lot of money.)

Thanks :)

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Hey everyone, I wanted to get some opinions on a course I am taking replacing another.

School A: I took a botany course at my previous institution, and got a D- (4 credit hours, includes lab)
Course catalog description:
A survey of the plant kingdom with emphasis on phylogeny, development, physiology, and reproduction. Plant ecology and systematics will be included.

School B: I am currently at my new school and I am taking a biology 2 course- with an emphasis on botany. I am on track to get an A/A+ (5 credit hours, lab included)
Course catalog description:
One year of high school chemistry or one semester of college chemistry. Fundamental principles of biology for students considering a biology major or students with high school science background. Principles of evolution, systematics, diversity and ecology, and plant biology.

Will I need verification that these two courses were similar? What type of documentation would I need? We have covered the same if not more in my current course.
I know MD schools average and DO schools replace, I was hoping to get an adcom members feedback on the matter. @Goro, @Catalystik

(I have previously posted about this, and have been told by a few people I should repeat since it is a D in a science course. However if this course I am currently in could count, it would save me a lot of money.)

Thanks :)

I doubt that's possible since you went to two different UG and have two different transcripts... unless you tell school A to somehow expunge your botany grade altogether, but I'm not sure whether they'll be okay with that.
 
I doubt that's possible since you went to two different UG and have two different transcripts... unless you tell school A to somehow expunge your botany grade altogether, but I'm not sure whether they'll be okay with that.
Tried a million times, they won't budge :yeahright:
I even tried making a case for retroactive withdraw (PM for more details if you'd like @Agent B , I won't bore you without consent :)) but the lady in the registrars office told me "Don't count on it, the dean never approves a petition of an academic policy" (since my old school did not officially offer a retroactive WD policy, I have to petition the academic policy.)
 
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Tried a million times, they won't budge :yeahright:
I even tried making a case for retroactive withdraw (PM for more details if you'd like @Agent B , I won't bore you without consent :)) but the lady in the registrars office told me "Don't count on it, the dean never approves a petition of an academic policy" (since my old school did not officially offer a retroactive WD policy, I have to petition the academic policy.)

Wow that sucks. Yeah the adcoms are better help for this admin issue

@Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik @LizzyM signals activated!
 
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Wow that sucks. Yeah the adcoms are better help for this admin issue

@Goro @gyngyn @Catalystik @LizzyM signals activated!
For MD schools, all grades will be averaged and the relative effect of a retake with a higher grade is small.

I'd recommend that you check the AACOMAS website for how they deal with classes of different hours that have similar catalog descriptions to see how that is handled. I know that different institutions will not be a problem.
 
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For MD schools, all grades will be averaged and the relative effect of a retake with a higher grade is small.

I'd recommend that you check the AACOMAS website for how they deal with classes of different hours that have similar catalog descriptions to see how that is handled. I know that different institutions will not be a problem.
Ah-ha. I get it, hopefully they do. Thanks for your help @gyngyn :)
It would be nice to get that grade (or heck, even semester) retroactively withdrawn.
 
Hey everyone, I wanted to get some opinions on a course I am taking replacing another.

School A: I took a botany course at my previous institution, and got a D- (4 credit hours, includes lab)
Course catalog description:
A survey of the plant kingdom with emphasis on phylogeny, development, physiology, and reproduction. Plant ecology and systematics will be included.

School B: I am currently at my new school and I am taking a biology 2 course- with an emphasis on botany. I am on track to get an A/A+ (5 credit hours, lab included)
Course catalog description:
One year of high school chemistry or one semester of college chemistry. Fundamental principles of biology for students considering a biology major or students with high school science background. Principles of evolution, systematics, diversity and ecology, and plant biology.

Will I need verification that these two courses were similar? What type of documentation would I need? We have covered the same if not more in my current course.
I know MD schools average and DO schools replace, I was hoping to get an adcom members feedback on the matter. @Goro, @Catalystik

(I have previously posted about this, and have been told by a few people I should repeat since it is a D in a science course. However if this course I am currently in could count, it would save me a lot of money.)

Thanks :)
It would help me answer your question if you'd include both the course prefixes, like BOT240 and BIO102. Also, are there prerequisites for the first class listed?
 
The botany course was BIOL L-220
The course I am currently in is BIOL L-102
An introductory biology course was required for the botany course. An introductory biology course was also required for the course I am currently in. At my old school, we had just biology 1, then biology 2 was sorted out into animal and plant courses. My current school combines those two subjects into biology 2 (plant and animal). So far we have covered the same, if not more material in my current class.
 
The credit hours for a replacement class for AACOMAS must be the same hours or greater, so you're fine there. But to me the two classes don't seem sufficiently similar, as the first seems like a higher level, and they are supposed to be "substantially similar." I've heard, though, that AACOMAS can be pretty lenient on the replacement issue sometimes. To get an opinion that counts, you'd email them with course prefixes, the prerequisites, both course descriptions, and possibly your subjective impression, "So far we have covered the same, if not more material in my current class."

If you get the response you want, then SAVE IT, in case your transcript gets changed by the AACOMAS verifier, as then you have a solid basis for appeal to get it changed back the way you submitted it. JMO. Good Luck.
 
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The credit hours for a replacement class for AACOMAS must be the same hours or greater, so you're fine there. But to me the two classes don't seem sufficiently similar, as the first seems like a higher level, and they are supposed to be "substantially similar." I've heard, though, that AACOMAS can be pretty lenient on the replacement issue sometimes. To get an opinion that counts, you'd email them with course prefixes, the prerequisites, both course descriptions, and possibly your subjective impression, "So far we have covered the same, if not more material in my current class."

If you get the response you want, then SAVE IT, in case your transcript gets changed by the AACOMAS verifier, as then you have a solid basis for appeal to get it changed back the way you submitted it. JMO. Good Luck.
Thanks a bunch @Catalystik !
 
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