Changing F's to W's

[NCOldie]

I have read on this site how some people have been able to change their Fs to Ws on the transcript. There was one school (CC) that I was at for a semester that I received all Fs because I did not withdraw during the time period that was set.
I did not withdraw during the time period for a very good reason. I have documented proof that there was no way I could have dropped the classes.
I emailed someone at the school about this and even though I briefly told her my reason and that I have proof about what happened, she stated that I would just simply have to take the classes over because there was no way I could petition to have the Fs changed into all Ws.
I do not live anywhere near that school now and I emailed her back explaining this. I also stated that I did not want something that was completely out of my control to prevent me from achieving my dream of going to medical school. All Fs will look absolutely horrible on my transcript and I am not even attending this school anymore, but I know I have to include all schools that I have attended.
The lady did not email me back after I asked her if she was SURE that there was nothing else I could do.
I am at a loss here.
Who else should I email/call about this? I believe the lady I emailed was in the registrar office.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[wholeheartedly]

How long ago was this?

I've never done anything like that, but I'd think if you have a good reason, say hospitalized during the withdrawal period or something then you should at least be able to petition. Sometimes people fielding phone calls or emails on the front lines aren't always the best people to get accurate information from when it comes to extenuating circumstances. Is there a dean of students, student affairs, or someone higher up you can talk to? Can you find the official school policies online that gives information about withdrawing and about petitions?

 

[theseeker4]

I have read on this site how some people have been able to change their Fs to Ws on the transcript. There was one school (CC) that I was at for a semester that I received all Fs because I did not withdraw during the time period that was set.
I did not withdraw during the time period for a very good reason. I have documented proof that there was no way I could have dropped the classes.
I emailed someone at the school about this and even though I briefly told her my reason and that I have proof about what happened, she stated that I would just simply have to take the classes over because there was no way I could petition to have the Fs changed into all Ws.
I do not live anywhere near that school now and I emailed her back explaining this. I also stated that I did not want something that was completely out of my control to prevent me from achieving my dream of going to medical school. All Fs will look absolutely horrible on my transcript and I am not even attending this school anymore, but I know I have to include all schools that I have attended.
The lady did not email me back after I asked her if she was SURE that there was nothing else I could do.
I am at a loss here.
Who else should I email/call about this? I believe the lady I emailed was in the registrar office.

Call the head of registrations, call the head of records, call the dean of the school, etc. and keep calling until you talk to someone who can actually do something about the Fs. I am sure a random employee in the registrar's office has no way to do anything and just repeated the standard line to you, but that just means you need to go above her, and keep going up until you have talked to every admin at the school, or they have helped you. This will probably be a real pain, and you might have to travel to the school to talk to someone in person, but a semester of Fs could very well mean the difference between admission and rejection.

 

[LifeTake2]

Firstly, stop making excuses. The only 'very good reason' for not withdrawing is to have been in a coma or prison. Otherwise, you could have called the school and withdrawn.

That said, you have a very difficult battle, and yes one that will likely keep you out of medical school if you lose.

You need to put your request, as well as clear justification for why they should make an execption, in a letter (not email) and send it certified to the registrar of the school. Once it is confirmed delivered, then call and politely ask to speak to the registrar. It will take repeating your request several times but they will be the only person to help. And getting them to is going to require eating crow and begging. They have NO requirement to help you and will only do it if they feel sorry for you.

Good luck

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

It is called a retroactive withdrawal, all of your class grades for the semester become W's if you agree to it. Some schools do participate in it, you should call your school's dean or academic director and ask about it.

 

[Dianyla]

Firstly, stop making excuses. The only 'very good reason' for not withdrawing is to have been in a coma or prison. Otherwise, you could have called the school and withdrawn.

Here's another reason: Not even knowing you were registered for a class in the first place, not finding it til you get your transcripts 15 years later. Said class was for a term of university that I never even attended, and did not have the prerequisites to have even been allowed to register. To this day I'll never know how I was ever registered for Physical Chemistry in the summer of 1995, but to this day I'll have an F on my transcript for it. 😉

It is called a retroactive withdrawal, all of your class grades for the semester become W's if you agree to it. Some schools do participate in it, you should call your school's dean or academic director and ask about it.

Some schools do offer this kind of option, but most have a time window within which the request/appeal must be made. Usually within a year or two.

 

[NCOldie]

Firstly, stop making excuses. The only 'very good reason' for not withdrawing is to have been in a coma or prison. Otherwise, you could have called the school and withdrawn.

That said, you have a very difficult battle, and yes one that will likely keep you out of medical school if you lose.

You need to put your request, as well as clear justification for why they should make an execption, in a letter (not email) and send it certified to the registrar of the school. Once it is confirmed delivered, then call and politely ask to speak to the registrar. It will take repeating your request several times but they will be the only person to help. And getting them to is going to require eating crow and begging. They have NO requirement to help you and will only do it if they feel sorry for you.

Good luck

Actually, I couldn't have called because the school requires the person to go in and show identification. I was hospitalized for three weeks after an assault. So, my "excuse" is a VERY good reason. I am a mother of two, not an irresponsible teenager.

 

[curt656]

Actually, I couldn't have called because the school requires the person to go in and show identification. I was hospitalized for three weeks after an assault. So, my "excuse" is a VERY good reason. I am a mother of two, not an irresponsible teenager.

This is accurate. Every school I have gone to requires you to do this in person and will not accept forms sent by mail or requests by phone.

 

[LifeTake2]

Actually, I couldn't have called because the school requires the person to go in and show identification. I was hospitalized for three weeks after an assault. So, my "excuse" is a VERY good reason. I am a mother of two, not an irresponsible teenager.

If this is the case then I will withdraw my comment, I tend to be a bit of a realist. 99/100 the 'good excuses' given on SDN for poor mistakes are not. I can name 5 cases of "my parents made me go with them on vacation to babysit and I missed to many classes" for every legitimate excuse. Sorry.

I am surprised that if you were hospitalized that the school wouldn't have worked with you. Did you try to resolve this when you recovered, or just take the F's and only know realized what it may do? I suspect the later, as most don't realize that medical school digs into your past so much. I wish you the best as you have a long fight ahead and the school likely doesn't have much motivation to help you.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I do think you need to try taking this a little higher up the food chain than whoever you talked to the first time.

 

[Choo]

I called the head of the departments. The registrar said it was too late to change, but the department heads (and instructors) helped me out when I faxed proof I was unable to attend/withdraw.

 

[MDforMee]

I've done some digging on this issue after reading this thread last week.

Here's what I found out:
-you need to talk to the dean of student affairs, or someone with a similar capacitance.
-you need proof of what occurred that caused you to get poor grades, that was outside of your control
-the more proof you have, the better

What will help your case, as I gathered from the inflection of what the various administrators told me, is this:
-you have a strong trend in your grades since, or before, said incident
-it's been a long time since the incident
-you were in the hospital when the incident occurred

In my situation, I received a all "D's" in my courses one semester, while living in the residence halls. During finals week, however, I was taken by ambulance to the ICU, and stayed overnight and into the next day. I was extremely ill, and did not/could not attend finals.

I had my grades academically renewed, which means that this school doesn't count these grades towards my cumulative GPA, but as it turns out, medical schools don't accept academic renewal.

So, now I've gotten proof from the hospital I stayed at, verification/incident reports from the residence halls, and transcripts from my next years classes showing straight A's in hard classes (even A's in the same classes I was enrolled in) to prove that I didn't deserve the D's.

I have to present all of this, now, in a packet, to the Dean of Student Affairs. They will make the ultimate decision. Had I known that academic renewal didn't work for med school admissions, I would have done this sooner.