PTCAS GPA calculation question

[Chao]

Hello gals/guys,

I'm a non-traditional student, a rather old one I might add, hoping to switch careers from Chemical Engineering to Physical Therapy. Before I continue embarking on the many challenges this endeavor will elicit, I'm hoping some of you can clear up a few unawnsered questions!

My college GPA maybe borderline acceptable depending on how PTCAS calculates their GPAs . It was above average for engineering, but due to unexpected circumstances I dropped 2 classes. After thoroughly reviewing the PTCAS website, I'm still unable to ascertain whether the dropped course credits are factored into the cumulative GPA calculation. For instance, the information provided on the PTCAS websites states:

1. If credits OR grades are missing, courses are excluded from GPAs.
2. If you withdrew, received an incomplete, or did not earn credit for the course for any reason other
than failing, enter the attempted credits.
3. Enter the number of credit hours earned, as posted on your transcript.

When calculating the GPA value my transcript does not include credits or a grade for the dropped course,
but the course was repeated for credit. According to item number 1 above, a dropped (withdrawn) course would not be included in the final GPA calculation; however, item number 2 then states: to add the attemped credits.

How is a dropped course used in the calculation of a GPA? If dropped course credits are factored into the overall GPA it's essentially saying I failed?

Any insight or experience would be greatly appreicated! Thanks so much!

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[starrsgirl]

What does your transcript say? For my school, I could drop a course before a certain time and it does not appear on my transcript at all. Or if I dropped after a certain date, I would get a WP (withdraw passing) or WF (withdraw failing) and in that case, the attempted credits would factor in.

 

[DesertPT]

I would call PTCAS customer service and perhaps even a couple of your target schools to be sure, but I don't think the dropped classes will negatively impact your GPA. They may want you to include the attempted credits, but perhaps it doesn't go into the GPA calculation if those credits don't have a letter grade to go with them, making Quality Points for those classes impossible to calculate. What point value could they possible include for those classes? If they were including the credits in the GPA calculation without associating a grade with them, then they would be, for example, treating 6 dropped credits as 6 credits worth of F's, and I doubt that is really what happens.

@starrsgirl can you clarify how "the attempted credits would factor in"?

 

[starrsgirl]

Hmmm....this is tricky. I wonder if mine was school specific difference. I had a "withdraw failing" class....my school recorded it as 0/3 credits so I had to write those credits in as attempted. But according to the PTCAS website, they shouldn't count withdraw classes in the GPA. I KNOW they did include it in mine though. So very unsure if the rules have changed since I applied or if they included it because my school treated it the same as receiving an F and used it in my transcripts. Sorry. I think I added more confusion.

 

[redrose424]

Hello gals/guys,

I'm a non-traditional student, a rather old one I might add, hoping to switch careers from Chemical Engineering to Physical Therapy. Before I continue embarking on the many challenges this endeavor will elicit, I'm hoping some of you can clear up a few unawnsered questions!

My college GPA maybe borderline acceptable depending on how PTCAS calculates their GPAs . It was above average for engineering, but due to unexpected circumstances I dropped 2 classes. After thoroughly reviewing the PTCAS website, I'm still unable to ascertain whether the dropped course credits are factored into the cumulative GPA calculation. For instance, the information provided on the PTCAS websites states:

1. If credits OR grades are missing, courses are excluded from GPAs.
2. If you withdrew, received an incomplete, or did not earn credit for the course for any reason other
than failing, enter the attempted credits.
3. Enter the number of credit hours earned, as posted on your transcript.

When calculating the GPA value my transcript does not include credits or a grade for the dropped course,
but the course was repeated for credit. According to item number 1 above, a dropped (withdrawn) course would not be included in the final GPA calculation; however, item number 2 then states: to add the attemped credits.

How is a dropped course used in the calculation of a GPA? If dropped course credits are factored into the overall GPA it's essentially saying I failed?

Any insight or experience would be greatly appreicated! Thanks so much!

If your school gives a "W" or "WP (withdraw passing)" the class is included in your ATTEMPTED credit hours. So if you've received a grade in 115 credits, it shows that you've attempted 118 credits (if the class withdrawn from was 3 credit hours). HOWEVER, it does not effect your GPA. PTCAS does not include this in your GPA. However, if you have a "WF (withdrawn failing)" that counts as an "F" and shows up in the attempted credit hours. This is my understanding it.

 

[Chao]

If your school gives a "W" or "WP (withdraw passing)" the class is included in your ATTEMPTED credit hours. So if you've received a grade in 115 credits, it shows that you've attempted 118 credits (if the class withdrawn from was 3 credit hours). HOWEVER, it does not effect your GPA. PTCAS does not include this in your GPA. However, if you have a "WF (withdrawn failing)" that counts as an "F" and shows up in the attempted credit hours. This is my understanding it.

But GPA is determined by credit hours attempted and quality points. So in that case mathematically it would count..wouldn't it?

 

[Chao]

I would call PTCAS customer service and perhaps even a couple of your target schools to be sure, but I don't think the dropped classes will negatively impact your GPA. They may want you to include the attempted credits, but perhaps it doesn't go into the GPA calculation if those credits don't have a letter grade to go with them, making Quality Points for those classes impossible to calculate. What point value could they possible include for those classes? If they were including the credits in the GPA calculation without associating a grade with them, then they would be, for example, treating 6 dropped credits as 6 credits worth of F's, and I doubt that is really what happens.

@starrsgirl can you clarify how "the attempted credits would factor in"?

I did try and contact them. I was unfortunately unsuccessful. I have not contacted any schools though. Do u think it's appropriate to call and ask? Goodness it's been way to long since I've done this lol. Ugh

 

[Chao]

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll just take it one day at a time and see what transpires!

 

[redrose424]

But GPA is determined by credit hours attempted and quality points. So in that case mathematically it would count..wouldn't it?

I guess I don't understand what you mean by it "counting". If you didn't receive a grade for the course, PTCAS doesn't include it in your GPA calculation, but it does show that you've attempted that course. It's the same as if you've taken a course on a "pass/fail" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" basis, obviously you've taken the course and the earned credit hours are there but there is no way to assign a letter grade to that.

 

[DesertPT]

I did try and contact them. I was unfortunately unsuccessful. I have not contacted any schools though. Do u think it's appropriate to call and ask? Goodness it's been way to long since I've done this lol. Ugh

Yes, admissions offices are always happy to answer questions. I'm not sure if they'll know since they may just take the cGPA PTCAS gives them and only calculate their own pre-req GPA. But it's worth asking.

Keep calling PTCAS till you get through to someone, you will eventually be successful!

 

[Chao]

I guess I don't understand what you mean by it "counting". If you didn't receive a grade for the course, PTCAS doesn't include it in your GPA calculation, but it does show that you've attempted that course. It's the same as if you've taken a course on a "pass/fail" or "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" basis, obviously you've taken the course and the earned credit hours are there but there is no way to assign a letter grade to that.

I finally, although randomly, recieved a response! Strange as I emailed them months ago. Anyway it states:

Thank you for contacting PTCAS. Unfortunately, PTCAS must standardize applicant
information throughout the country, and does not recognize individual school or
state academic forgiveness programs. If your transcripts display the number of
credits that a given course was worth, then they will be factored into your
PTCAS GPA. Once your application arrives at the schools you are applying to,
they may or may not recalculate your GPA depending upon their individual
policies.

Although I hope your correct, the calculation from their website is:

- Total Quality Points/Credits Attempted where quality points = credit x grade

Then according to the response I recieved (above), since my transcript shows the number of credits (although with an X for drop) these credits are added to the above forumla EVEN though my school does not add them to their total credits earned.

Hopefully, I'm just very confused and have overthought this topic, but let me know your thoughts after hearing their response. Thanks!

 

[redrose424]

http://www.ptcas.org/GPA/

Withdrawn courses are not included.

 

[katelly]

I have quite a few credits that were internship credits, which I took for credit but no grade. I was assuming that these would be factored in to the total number of credits, but not GPA. I have been wondering though about it though, and about a couple of classes that I dropped at different times in the semester. One says W, one says WP. To me it seems that none of these should be calculated into gpa, because there is not a grade for any one of them.