Take a C or withdraw from Organic Chemistry 1?

[Dr. David]

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Hey guys!

So I'm finishing up my semester and it's going decent, but it looks like I'll be getting a C in organic chemistry 1 this semester. I already have 2 C's in Biology 1 and 2. I calculated my GPA science GPA to be a (2.7 with the C) and (2.83 without the C) and then I would re-take the course hoping to receive a better grade. My goal is to get into at least some sort of dental school, what are your opinions on what I should do? I'll still have about 20-30 more science credits to take before i'm finished so there is still room to get my Science GPA up to at least past a (3.0-3.2, etc.)

All opinions are greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

 

[doc toothache]

Hey guys!

So I'm finishing up my semester and it's going decent, but it looks like I'll be getting a C in organic chemistry 1 this semester. I already have 2 C's in Biology 1 and 2. I calculated my GPA science GPA to be a (2.7 with the C) and (2.83 without the C) and then I would re-take the course hoping to receive a better grade. My goal is to get into at least some sort of dental school, what are your opinions on what I should do? I'll still have about 20-30 more science credits to take before i'm finished so there is still room to get my Science GPA up to at least past a (3.0-3.2, etc.)

All opinions are greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

In the progression, "science" courses usually don't get easier.

 

[FanOfCostco]

My personal opinion is that a W looks just like an F on the transcript. The only difference is there's no effect on the GPA with a W

 

[William Shakespeare]

Hey guys!

So I'm finishing up my semester and it's going decent, but it looks like I'll be getting a C in organic chemistry 1 this semester. I already have 2 C's in Biology 1 and 2. I calculated my GPA science GPA to be a (2.7 with the C) and (2.83 without the C) and then I would re-take the course hoping to receive a better grade. My goal is to get into at least some sort of dental school, what are your opinions on what I should do? I'll still have about 20-30 more science credits to take before i'm finished so there is still room to get my Science GPA up to at least past a (3.0-3.2, etc.)

All opinions are greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

I disagree with @FanOfCostco. A W is definitely better than an F, and because you already have two C’s in the first two general biology courses I think that you need to withdraw to salvage your GPA. I strongly advise that you try and bust your ass to get A’s in OCHEM I and II to make up for the C’s in biology and continue to do well in your upper level science courses to demonstrate an upward trend of improvement.

You need to shoot for a sGPA of a minimum of 3.5 to be competitive for Med School

 

[sobertiger]

Do you have any other Ws? Also, how can you withdraw so late in the semester?

C is fine as long as it is an anomaly, and you do well on ochem 2. If you can take a W, that wouldn't be too bad either but you might need to explain the reason when applying ("I was doing badly" will not suffice).

Also, a W is not nearly as bad as an F. People get in with multiple Ws no problem but it's quite a bit harder with multiple Fs.

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[William Shakespeare]

Do you have any other Ws? Also, how can you withdraw so late in the semester?

C is fine as long as it is an anomaly, and you do well on ochem 2. If you can take a W, that wouldn't be too bad either but you might need to explain the reason when applying ("I was doing badly" will not suffice).

Also, a W is not nearly as bad as an F. People get in with multiple Ws no problem but it's quite a bit harder with multiple Fs.

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I would argue nearly impossible to get in with F’s w/ no grade replacement.

 

[sobertiger]

I would argue nearly impossible to get in with F’s w/ no grade replacement.

Some have gotten in, but it's a grind for sure.

Sent from my XT1575 using SDN mobile

 

[FanOfCostco]

I disagree with @FanOfCostco. A W is definitely better than an F, and because you already have two C’s in the first two general biology courses I think that you need to withdraw to salvage your GPA. I strongly advise that you try and bust your ass to get A’s in OCHEM I and II to make up for the C’s in biology and continue to do well in your upper level science courses to demonstrate an upward trend of improvement.

You need to shoot for a sGPA of a minimum of 3.5 to be competitive for Med School

Sorry, I should have explained it some more. Basically what @sobertiger said. Having one W and a bunch of other classes with grades the same semester looks weird. Some how he has to justify why there is a W. If he can't then basically it means it was too hard and I didn't want an F. Just personal opinion

 

[William Shakespeare]

Sorry, I should have explained it some more. Basically what @sobertiger said. Having one W and a bunch of other classes with grades the same semester looks weird. Some how he has to justify why there is a W. If he can't then basically it means it was too hard and I didn't want an F. Just personal opinion

Yeah, I’m with you because too many W’s would definitely flag a transcript. However, I’ll take a red flag over an F any day of the week.

 

[chasing5ym]

I was in the exact same situation. Didn't want a C, so I decided to take the W and retake it off track the following semester. Got a tutor and ended up with a B with less effort and stress than the previous attempt. I doubt that one W will raise eyebrows. The question is how confident are you that you'll do better the second attempt? Good luck!

 

[FanOfCostco]

I was in the exact same situation. Didn't want a C, so I decided to take the W and retake it off track the following semester. Got a tutor and ended up with a B with less effort and stress than the previous attempt. I doubt that one W will raise eyebrows. The question is how confident are you that you'll do better the second attempt? Good luck!

Of course you didn't need as much effort. You rode kobes coattails for 2 of your chips!

 

[predental21250]

I ended up with a C in every single chemistry class I took. I still was accepted to three dental schools.

 

[Incis0r]

Withdraw but keep going to the lectures - you will not start from square 1 then. You will have some familiarity with the content.

Keep going and listening to the lectures, and do what the other guy in this thread did - get a tutor for the retake.

Save your GPA.

 

[Life of Pablo]

My personal opinion is that a W looks just like an F on the transcript. The only difference is there's no effect on the GPA with a W

I disagree. People get in all the time with W(‘s) on their transcript. Just don’t make a habit of it.

 

[Chubz0924]

I would withdraw from the course! Just be sure you know how to explain why you dropped it because it usually comes up during your interview

 

[chives_irvine]

It all depends on how confident you feel. I got a C in O-Chem 1 and a C in Molecular Biology, but I had 8 interviews this cycle. Every applicant is different though

 

[PTSD]

A W is far better than a D/F. Many people, including myself, were accepted at multiple public schools with Ws on their transcript. A W has wiggle room, D/F removes all doubt.You need to get a tutor and learn how to study quick because the grades you are presently pulling won't even get you into one of the super expensive ripoff private schools.

 

[aeco]

So first, take a deep breath.
It is more than GPA that gets you into dental school or med school...it's passion, drive, and personality.

Secondly,
We still understand GPA is important. So when making this decision answer some questions to yourself honestly:
1) Can pull this grade up to at least a B?
2) If the answer is no, then ask yourself if you could do better a second time?
-if the answer is still no, don't drop the class...push through and accept the C and work hard in future classes and this section of the DAT

If you can not pull your grade up and think you could do better next time, it is OK to withdraw. Just know they may ask you about this in your interview. That is not necessarily a bad thing. You can be honest when the question comes up and explain that you saw that you were struggling and thought that it would be to go ahead a drop it, focus on your other classes and reevaluate your study skills. They will respect this, but be aware of the fact that you need to be ready to show them you made changes to get better!

I would suggest that you try to get a tutor either way. If you can't afford a tutor or need extra help check out Chad's Videos and Khan academy videos, they are a life saver! Also, keep your head up....for me Ochem 2 was SO MUCH EASIER...it was straight memorization and I felt like I could follow it better.

 

[LittleKay]

I love when people make their usernames Doctor ___ , Dr. ____ then get into situations where they may not see that name come to life.

Why jump the gun?

 

[amariesa]

My personal opinion is that a W looks just like an F on the transcript. The only difference is there's no effect on the GPA with a W

I withdrew from all my courses one semester due to health issues. No effect on my 5 interviews so far. I think the issue is having Ws along with regular grades. It shows that you cant hold a full 5 course busy semester. But sudden Ws from all courses when before and after you averaged an A? I think they know its different.

 

[Iroh]

Hey guys!

So I'm finishing up my semester and it's going decent, but it looks like I'll be getting a C in organic chemistry 1 this semester. I already have 2 C's in Biology 1 and 2. I calculated my GPA science GPA to be a (2.7 with the C) and (2.83 without the C) and then I would re-take the course hoping to receive a better grade. My goal is to get into at least some sort of dental school, what are your opinions on what I should do? I'll still have about 20-30 more science credits to take before i'm finished so there is still room to get my Science GPA up to at least past a (3.0-3.2, etc.)

All opinions are greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

This should never be your goal. You're just setting yourself up for failure.

 

[ncide]

Science courses don't get easier in dental school. They get harder.

Pick up the slack.

 

[WockaWocka]

Withdraw. I heard from two different had of admissions deans that it's all about numbers. It's easy to explain away a withdrawal than it is a permanent low GPA

 

[jackymulan]

I feel like withdrawing from the course would be better. Clean up your act, grab a tutor and take the class again. Also make sure you do really good on your upper level science courses, because they count more.

 

[Tatu78]

This is hard to answer without knowing your study habits right now and how you'll change it if you're going to retake. If you drop, and take again but don't change your approach, it's better to just take the C and not waste your time and money. IF you're sure you're going to get it right the next try, then take the W and pull through with a A/B. Your call.