Is this going to hurt me?

[168533]

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In fall 2004, I was registered at this university and withdrew after the first two days of school (long story). Well, I requested a personal transcript after I left the school to see what would show up. Maybe I forgot, but I thought I remembered nothing showing up on the transcript at all. I contacted PharmCas about leaving out the school because I had no grades to enter, so they tell me that I can leave out the school if there's no grades to post.

Well I was filling out a supplemental and using the info from PharmCas to fill out my courses. I scroll down and notice the school has been added to the coursework section by PharmCas. I call PharmCas, and they tell me that is what's on the school's transcript. I call the school, and they say that they put W's down if you withdrawl from the school to show that you were once enrolled at the school, and that you were once enrolled in those classes. I told her well how are the schools supposed to know I just didn't drop because of my grades? She tells me it's WP or WF if you withdraw because you're failing a class. However, there's no differentiation on PharmCas for those courses vs the ones that I actually dropped because of a low grade. I guess I'm worried that schools are going to look at that and think "look at all those classes she dropped!" and pass me over. Is this going to hurt me? Sorry for the long post! 🙁

 

[HaleyRX]

I think you will be given an opportunity to explain yourself during either PS or interview. It may be possible to get a letter from the registrar showing the date you officially withdrew--although if W's appear it would have to be at least a week after classes started, I think. They shouldn't put W's if it was literally only 2 days, so if it was then I would contact the registrar about that.
If indeed the W's are legit, then contact the schools you are applying to, explain the situation and see what they advise you to do. Each school will probably be different. Some may see it as a fear of commitment, others may see it as a wise choice to wait and continue your education after your situation passed. It will probably depend a lot on what your academic record looks like after that...
good luck!!

 

[168533]

Thanks. I did contact the registrar and they said it was school policy to put a W to "show that you were enrolled in these classes". School started on Monday, and I withdrew on Wednesday, so I was only there for two days worth of classes. I even dropped all the classes in the system before I went to go officially withdraw from the school. I think it's a dumb policy. I signed up for a school the following week after I withdrew there, but I ended up dropping the second school because I didn't start until 4 days after school started, and I felt like I was already behind. That school didn't put anything down on my transcripts, and PharmCas didn't put the school down on my coursework even though I sent them a transcript from that school too. Blah, I was getting everything together and was feeling good, now I'm ready to pull my hair out.

 

[fhx06]

This may be different between schools because certain schools have a grace period... a drop/add week... in which students are allowed to drop and add courses at their leisure without the W ever appearing.

As for the W... I'm sure you'll get your chance to explain yourself in some form, so don't leave anything out. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[168533]

I just wanted to bump this thread to explain my frustration with this school. I was lucky to stumble across an official transcript that I requested for my personal file soon after leaving this school. Well on my transcript, there is no mention of any of the classes I was registered in during this time period or any grade of W's, so whatever policy they came up with was after I left this school. This makes me even more upset. I decided to write the school and tell them that this may have some negative effect on my application, and that it is not fair to change my transcript in accordance with a policy that was implemented after I left the school seeing as I wouldn't know of the consequences. I'm hoping they change it, but I don't know.