Pass/fail Fall 2020 Orgo2

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justamando

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I am in a bit of a predicament and I was wondering if I could receive some advice. I had a tough time this semester in my orgo 2 class, and with the end drawing near, I fear that I will be getting a low C or worse. If I were to get a C, should I convert this into pass/fail, or keep it as it is? I am not sure what medical schools' positions will be on p/f this semester for prereqs, so would anyone recommend me retaking the course for an actual grade? I'm just trying to figure which should be more important, since my gpa would be greatly affected by this C. Thank you.

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I am in a bit of a predicament and I was wondering if I could receive some advice. I had a tough time this semester in my orgo 2 class, and with the end drawing near, I fear that I will be getting a low C or worse. If I were to get a C, should I convert this into pass/fail, or keep it as it is? I am not sure what medical schools' positions will be on p/f this semester for prereqs, so would anyone recommend me retaking the course for an actual grade? I'm just trying to figure which should be more important, since my gpa would be greatly affected by this C. Thank you.

If the pass/fail is not forced on you by your university due to COVID-19, it is not recommended to pass/fail a course--Especially a pre-requisite.
 
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If the pass/fail is not forced on you by your university due to COVID-19, it is not recommended to pass/fail a course--Especially a pre-requisite.

How is it viewed versus a C-, which is usually viewed as a fail anyway and likely requires a retake? It seems like if OP is on track to get a C-, it may be beneficial for him to get the P and hope adcoms wave it off as a result of COVID.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors
 
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How is it viewed versus a C-, which is usually viewed as a fail anyway and likely requires a retake? It seems like if OP is on track to get a C-, it may be beneficial for him to get the P and hope adcoms wave it off as a result of COVID.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors
No go -- at my school, and I'm sure many others, you need a C to get a P. C- would be F. You hit the nail on the head -- C- is usually viewed as a fail. It doesn't magically become a pass under P/F!

Again, it's a Pass. Most people don't voluntarily convert As and Bs to Ps, and adcoms know this. Optically it looks better than a C because it doesn't go into the GPA, but adcoms actually look at the transcript, not just the GPA, so nobody is fooled, even though it apparently makes some people feel better. One C isn't fatal, so there's no reason to mask it, and several start to add up, whether they appear as Cs with a 3.6 or Ps with a 3.8.
 
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At my school we are allowed to convert to a p/f even if its below a C-. So are you recommending I retake the course with the C- or retake with a pass? I still feel like I should be focusing on my gpa here.
 
At my school we are allowed to convert to a p/f even if its below a C-. So are you recommending I retake the course with the C- or retake with a pass? I still feel like I should be focusing on my gpa here.
The question is, what is the cutoff to convert to a P? If you can convert a C- (or below) to a P, grab it and don't bother with a retake! P is a pass, so why would you retake? You don't need it, and most schools would expect an A on a retake, so you'd have nothing to gain and everything to lose with a retake. Just make sure the schools you are interested in will accept voluntary P/F grading on prereqs.
 
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As @KnightDoc said if it's C-, grab the P, but if it's C and your current GPA is good then take C. One C even it's OC won't prevent you from getting a medical school admission.
 
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As @KnightDoc said if it's C-, grab the P, but if it's C and your current GPA is good then take C. One C even it's OC won't prevent you from getting a medical school admission.
Again, you have to make sure it's okay with the schools. Before COVID it was unheard of, and a lot of schools that accepted it in the spring aren't accepting it anymore with the "new normal," since I am unaware of any schools having mandatory P/F now.
 
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