HELP: 'W' on the transcript

[Gee!Golly!Gosh!]

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Guys...I need some serious help...I am taking a course (amongst several others in the MPH program)...when I started this quarter I didnt realize that I would get an internship, but now that I have an internship I realize that one of my courses is just too much work (it takes waaaaay too much time).

If I drop this course now, I will get a 'W' (withdrawal) on the transcript. It would probably be my only one for the year. If I dont drop this course I am afraid it will hurt grades in my other courses, or if it doesnt then at least I wont get an A in this course (maybe a B).

How do AdComms look at 'W's and should I drop this course?


----Awww Shucks!

 

[junathon]

Guys...I need some serious help...I am taking a course (amongst several others in the MPH program)...when I started this quarter I didnt realize that I would get an internship, but now that I have an internship I realize that one of my courses is just too much work (it takes waaaaay too much time).

If I drop this course now, I will get a 'W' (withdrawal) on the transcript. It would probably be my only one for the year. If I dont drop this course I am afraid it will hurt grades in my other courses, or if it doesnt then at least I wont get an A in this course (maybe a B).

How do AdComms look at 'W's and should I drop this course?


----Awww Shucks!

i have a "w" on my transcript. no acceptances yet, but i've gotten a couple of interviews.

 

[MEG@COOL]

Show them your transcript upside down so that the "W" looks like "M".

 

[Medikit]

Heh, I have like 11 of those. I had to order up a transcript that had nothing but W's on it.

 

[An Yong]

If its your first W, its not a big deal. I had one W on my transcript, and so far no one has even mentioned it in any of the interviews I've been to.

 

[no-see-um]

W's are alright.

 

[Neuronix]

Show them your transcript upside down so that the "W" looks like "M".

Good advice!

Seriously, nobody cares if you have a W or two or three on your transcript. More than that probably requires a good explanation.

 

[leechy]

Yeah, there's nothing to fear with one or two W's. A whole string of them - now that requires an explanation.

 

[Gee!Golly!Gosh!]

Just wanted to thank everyone for answering to my post...Thanks a lot dudes...I really appreciate the input.


---Awww! Shucks!

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Yeah, there's nothing to fear with one or two W's. A whole string of them - now that requires an explanation.

Hahaha... this thread brings back some old neurotic memories from the app process...

I had an entire semester of W's, six of them in all. It was my first semester in college. I explained it away as a 'transition' point in my life.

As long as the W(s) are drowned in a background of A's and B's, it shouldn't be any concern to the adcoms

 

[txguy]

Guys...I need some serious help...I am taking a course (amongst several others in the MPH program)...when I started this quarter I didnt realize that I would get an internship, but now that I have an internship I realize that one of my courses is just too much work (it takes waaaaay too much time).

If I drop this course now, I will get a 'W' (withdrawal) on the transcript. It would probably be my only one for the year. If I dont drop this course I am afraid it will hurt grades in my other courses, or if it doesnt then at least I wont get an A in this course (maybe a B).

How do AdComms look at 'W's and should I drop this course?


----Awww Shucks!

1 W is not a big deal. I have one on my transcript as well and I have not been asked about it on any of my interviews (been on 5 so far). Look at it this way, it would be much worse to have a bad grade than a "W" on your transcript. At least the W won't affect your GPA and is not as likely to be brought up in an interview!

Good luck 👍

-tx

 

[KidDr]

Just to echo what everyone else has already said...
I had a W in undergrad and got into several med schools. No one ever mentioned it during interviews. So I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[lattimer13]

i had 2 Ws and got accepted. like others have said...just don't make a habit of it.

 

[45408]

when I started this quarter I didnt realize that I would get an internship, but now that I have an internship I realize that one of my courses is just too much work

Sounds like a good enough reason to me - I see no reason to sweat it. It's no different than having taken fewer credits in the first place. If you ever dropped a course twice though, that might look sketchy.

 

[dec0y]

Ok, whats the consensus on a 'W' vs. 'P/NP'?

 

[snapdad]

I had 14 Ws and got accepted, and a bunch of 'em were in direct med school prereqs (which I made up later). I had a good reason though, and proved myself through other grades. Ws aren't the end of the world.

 

[dtreese]

I had a W. So what? If somebody asks you about it, just point out that it shows you're aware of your limitations. You saw a problem with your schedule, and you addressed it early. This is actually a good quality in a medical student and in a physician. It shows that you act constructively when you feel you may be in over your head. It shows that you are ambitious (you took on a lot of responsibility, even if it turned out to be a little much), but it also shows that you are willing to admit fallibility and address the problem.
Now go have some fun.