Deadline for dropping with a W at most schools

[myosinhead]

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I'm hearing about several people considering dropping a course with a W this late into the semester.
What is the deadline for dropping at most schools?
At mine, the deadline for dropping a course with a W is only a month after the start of semester. After one month, if you want to drop a course, you need to do it under "extenuating circumstances", meaning that you can only drop it only if you provide necessary documents (death certificate of a grandfater; or if you went through a serious illness, you need a letter/form written by medical professional stating that you were hospitalized for 2+ weeks, etc.)
It's surprising to see some schools allow self-dropping this much late into the semester. I wish mine did, too. (Or is there some misunderstanding on my part? When people talk about dropping, are they actually referring to doing it under extenuating circumtances, or just doing it by themselves without necessary documents?)

 

[DrYoda]

My school lets you drop all the way up until the last week. They also denote withdraw pass and withdraw fail on your transcript.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Isn't a W pretty much an F when it comes to AMCAS? You should worry more about dropping a course without a W.

 

[Greonis]

I don't believe that W grades influence the AMCAS GPA/credit hours in any way (I recall reading this in the AMCAS help file).

 

[MedicalSonata]

No - W's are fine according to my pre-med advisor. Much better than an F.

At my school you can petition to drop classes anytime - even after the semester has ended and you have your final grade.

 

[myosinhead]

No - W's are fine according to my pre-med advisor. Much better than an F.

At my school you can petition to drop classes anytime - even after the semester has ended and you have your final grade.

Wow, that's just so sweet. How I wish my school was like that.

 

[MedicalSonata]

Are you sure it doesn't? I'm at a top school and my college advisor said most colleges have that: "Because how can you know you want to drop it before you have your grade?"

Of course it requires a petition and you must have extenuating circumstances to have that grade.

 

[UNMorBUST]

Mine is 1month before semester is over. If they let you drop after semester is over noone at that school ever gets an F right .

 

[MedicalSonata]

Ha, I'd say quite a few do. It's a tough ivy league school...>_<

 

[UNMorBUST]

Ha, I'd say quite a few do. It's a tough ivy league school...>_<

Why don't they just drop it after they get their grade?

 

[Bacchus]

You have up to 6 weeks into the semester at my undergrad. If you drop the class after then you automatically receive a failing grade.

 

[MedicalSonata]

Why don't they just drop it after they get their grade?

You have to have a reason - you can't just drop.

 

[HeatherMD]

Second week of November here, which is just after mid-term month October, so most people know if they're headed for failure or otherwise.

Being able to drop a class AFTER receiving your final grade is by far the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Talk about not making students take responsibility for their own grades.

Sorry, but if someone gets an F, they earned it.

 

[biophysicianai]

Because how can you know you want to drop it before you have your grade?

Wow. I'm at a "tough ivy league school" too, and we don't have that policy, a policy which I think is frankly far too forgiving. These are the perks that you never even consider - or know about - when you're in high school, bright-eyed and applying to a school for the first time. I'm very envious. I don't know when our deadline is, but we certainly have one. I have friends who go to schools where you can re-take a class, replace the grade, and not have the old grade show up on your record either.

Doesn't knowing your grade before you withdraw make the system very exploitable? How is this privilege usually exercised?

Sorry, but if someone gets an F, they earned it.

I tend to agree with this. I'm very surprised by the ability to dodge consequences like that. If you had that as an option, Heather, would you use it if you needed to?

 

[HeatherMD]

holy crap if I had the option of dropping classes post-grade receipt, my transcript would be nothing but A's.

How many times have I rocked a class then crashed & burned in finals? Practically ALL THE TIME. If there was a get-out-of-jail-free card for after final exams, I'd be all over that.

 

[MedicalSonata]

Why are you guys NOT understanding this?

You can ONLY petition to drpo after you get your final grade if you have EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. A committe meets and decides if your circumstances allow. Tons of people gets F's and have to keep them.

Example: Someone makes an F in Calculus, they write a petition talking about how they were homesick their first semester from home, and how they hadn't adjusted to this school.

Verdict: CANNOT Drop - will keep F

Example 2: Someone makes an F in Calculus. They write a letter talking about how they were diagnosed with an illness or their brother died or something in the middle of the semester.

Verdict: Most likely will be able to take a W instead.

This is what I'm talking about.

Sorry, but if someone gets an F, they earned it.

Pretty heartless in some circumstances.

 

[scarletgirl777]

Are you sure it doesn't? I'm at a top school and my college advisor said most colleges have that: "Because how can you know you want to drop it before you have your grade?"

Of course it requires a petition and you must have extenuating circumstances to have that grade.

Ha I too am at a "top" school and that is most definitely not allowed! The point of dropping is that you don't like the class, not that you took the class and then realized you weren't very good at it. Otherwise, neurotic premeds would constantly be dropping courses they got B's in.

 

[scarletgirl777]

Wow. I'm at a "tough ivy league school" too, and we don't have that policy, a policy which I think is frankly far too forgiving. These are the perks that you never even consider - or know about - when you're in high school, bright-eyed and applying to a school for the first time. I'm very envious. I don't know when our deadline is, but we certainly have one. I have friends who go to schools where you can re-take a class, replace the grade, and not have the old grade show up on your record either.

Doesn't knowing your grade before you withdraw make the system very exploitable? How is this privilege usually exercised?



I tend to agree with this. I'm very surprised by the ability to dodge consequences like that. If you had that as an option, Heather, would you use it if you needed to?

When I found out there were schools like this, I was livid. Especially in a curved class, that absolutely makes no sense.

 

[Thrombomodulin]

.

 

[tabletop]

Why are you guys NOT understanding this?

You can ONLY petition to drpo after you get your final grade if you have EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. A committe meets and decides if your circumstances allow. Tons of people gets F's and have to keep them.

Example: Someone makes an F in Calculus, they write a petition talking about how they were homesick their first semester from home, and how they hadn't adjusted to this school.

Verdict: CANNOT Drop - will keep F

Example 2: Someone makes an F in Calculus. They write a letter talking about how they were diagnosed with an illness or their brother died or something in the middle of the semester.

Verdict: Most likely will be able to take a W instead.

This is what I'm talking about.



Pretty heartless in some circumstances.

If you truly have such extenuating circumstances, then you would drop and take the W immediately. I think it's BS if you stay with the course (your OWN decision), wait to see if you're lucky, get a B, and then drop, claiming that you had extenuating circumstances, which all of a sudden, 1.5 months later, make you want to drop the course.

there's a reason why these "tough Ivies" get their GPAs multiplied by <1 by adcoms, and why public schools get their GPAs multiplied by >1

 

[link2swim06]

You can only drop at my school for a W before the end of the 7th week of a quarter.

 

[scarletgirl777]

If you truly have such extenuating circumstances, then you would drop and take the W immediately. I think it's BS if you stay with the course (your OWN decision), wait to see if you're lucky, get a B, and then drop, claiming that you had extenuating circumstances, which all of a sudden, 1.5 months later, make you want to drop the course.

there's a reason why these "tough Ivies" get their GPAs multiplied by <1 by adcoms, and why public schools get their GPAs multiplied by >1

Just because one Ivy has a bizarre policy doesn't mean all Ivies act that way. It's not like all 8 schools act as a unit. Also news flash: I don't know about the OP's school, but the adcoms I've talked to that do multiply our GPAs (it's unclear how many schools still do that in a formal way) definitely multiply by a number greater than 1 Frankly, you just sound bitter.

 

[tabletop]

Just because one Ivy has a bizarre policy doesn't mean all Ivies act that way. It's not like all 8 schools act as a unit. Also news flash: I don't know about the OP's school, but the adcoms I've talked to that do multiply our GPAs (it's unclear how many schools still do that in a formal way) definitely multiply by a number greater than 1 Frankly, you just sound bitter.

I'm not bitter. I'm glad my school doesn't have such a ridiculous policy. People EARN their GPAs here; they don't choose them.

And I didn't mean to look at all the Ivies as a unit. I know they're all different and I know that they're all tough. However, some of the Ivies' policies I do not agree with.

 

[MedicalSonata]

My Ivy is actually known for grade deflation...

 

[Pinkertinkle]

My Ivy is actually known for grade deflation...

That's what they all say, however ivy's rely heavily on alumni money and for that reason none of them are going to go hog wild with grade stinginess lest they bankrupt their endowment 10 years down the road.

 

[link2swim06]

I agree that public school tend to have a harder grading policy.
I go to a public school and....
1. Most science class are curved to a C meaning half the people get below a C
2. After the 7th week of the quarter you are stuck with the grade unless you get hit by a bus or something crazy like that. There is no... take a class and decide to drop the class after getting a bad grade.
3. Most of the professor are so focused on their research they could care less if you fail.

Granted ivys have a harder group of people competing but I have never been in a science class where more than 30% of the class got As. From what I have read other school have super nice retake policies and I don't have the luxury of ever using those.

 

[Thrombomodulin]

.

 

[scarletgirl777]

That's what they all say, however ivy's rely heavily on alumni money and for that reason none of them are going to go hog wild with grade stinginess lest they bankrupt their endowment 10 years down the road.

Every school heavily relies on alumni money...even public schools, have you not seen in the news Cal's new scheme for squeezing money from its alumni?

 

[MedicalSonata]

Yes, Cornell.

 

[redlight]

sry to hijack thread.. but

actually, cornell engineering is known for grade deflation, not the entire university.
few schools come to mind that are actually seriously known for widespread grade deflation (like reed). i feel bad for those at schools known for inflation (like yale, harvard).. how do you stand out if >1/2 the class is on deans list lol.

and check out this article about ivy grade inflation/deflation. in princeton, ONLY 35% get A's haha.. down from staggering averages of 41 and 47%
i realize the academic talent pool at top schools like princeton means that most of the people in the school would be at top of pretty much every other school in the country (because they were in hs and had the standardized test scores to match) so they may be very deserving of those grades but 47% A's is ridiculous

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-03-27-princeton-grades_N.htm

edit: this is more recent: http://www.newsweek.com/id/54666

 

[redlight]

oh, and some other interesting links:
http://www.seas.upenn.edu/courses/sys302/Grade_Inflation.pdf
http://gradeinflation.com/