Covid 19: Pass/Fail then retake for Grade

[1234567890]

Hello!

The shift to online exams has really hit my ochem 1 grade, and I'm at risk to get a B. I know I can get an A. I've literally just missed points due to nit-picky stuff related to uploading solutions online, etc. My question is, can I take this course for pass/fail, then do it again for a grade? Would that adversely affect my app next year?

thanks!
1234567890

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[deleted850921]

Please take the B. Otherwise adcoms might think you were on track for a C or lower and were forced to take a pass

 

[chaim123]

Hello!

The shift to online exams has really hit my ochem 1 grade, and I'm at risk to get a B. I know I can get an A. I've literally just missed points due to nit-picky stuff related to uploading solutions online, etc. My question is, can I take this course for pass/fail, then do it again for a grade? Would that adversely affect my app next year?

thanks!
1234567890

Take the B.

 

[gyngyn]

I'm at risk to get a B. I know I can get an A. I've literally just missed points due to nit-picky stuff related to uploading solutions online, etc. My question is, can I take this course for pass/fail, then do it again for a grade?

This behavior is indicative of a trait we prefer to avoid.

 

[Goro]

Hello!

The shift to online exams has really hit my ochem 1 grade, and I'm at risk to get a B. I know I can get an A. I've literally just missed points due to nit-picky stuff related to uploading solutions online, etc. My question is, can I take this course for pass/fail, then do it again for a grade? Would that adversely affect my app next year?

thanks!
1234567890

Adcoms have an aversion to perfectionists.

A B, C, D or F in this course will NOT keep you out of med school.

 

[1234567890]

Got it. Thank you so much, everyone, for you honestly input! I'll keep trying for an A, but I'll take the B if it comes down to it.

 

[samnoladental]

What about a C+ in a neurobiology class? Pass or letter grade?

 

[KnightDoc]

What about a C+ in a neurobiology class? Pass or letter grade?

Honestly doesn't matter. C+ doesn't look great, and a P looks like a C.

 

[samnoladental]

If a science GPA drops from a 3.66 to a 3.59 with the letter grade, would you take the P? You think admissions officers would take this one grade into consideration from this semester and not view those two different numbers as a significant difference?

 

[KnightDoc]

If a science GPA drops from a 3.66 to a 3.59 with the letter grade, would you take the P? You think admissions officers would take this one grade into consideration from this semester and not view those two different numbers as a significant difference?

Doesn't matter. One grade, by the time you are ready to apply, is not going to make a bit of difference. If you have an average of 120 credits when you graduate, the difference between an A and a C in a 4 credit class represents 8 GPA points out of 480, or 0.017 in your GPA. Of course, the difference will be a little greater in a sGPA, but the point is the same. One or two grades simply do not move the needle in the context of an entire application enough to make a difference in an ultimate outcome.

Adcoms understand the game -- this is why they discourage P/F in the first place. They want to see grades. You can get away with this without it being held against you if P/F is mandatory. Otherwise, the consensus is that they will assume the worst, so it just doesn't matter. To the extent an adcom would care, they would recalculate your GPA assuming every P is a C, so no, a 3.59 with a C will not be looked at differently than a 3.66 with a P.