W in Cell Bio

[lorian99]

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Hi All,

I withdrew from cell bio in my second year of college. It was bizarrely the first bio class for pre-meds at my school as no "general bio" or "intro to bio" course was offered. I took a W because I wasn't doing well and decided to stop pursuing pre-med.

Since then, I returned to pre-med as a post-bacc and completed all the pre-req coursework with a 4.0 gpa (~30 credits).

How negatively do you think my early W will be seen when I apply? This is my only W.

Thanks in advance!

 

[HalpSendHalp]

Hey, that's fine, if you retook it and did well like you did. 🙂
I had a couple Ws too, one being a major biology course, also in sophomore year. Retook it, got a B, ran with it, and then I explained myself whenever necessary.
We're premed humans, so it's only to make mistakes and adcoms know that. Just be prepared to answer questions about it in secondaries and when it comes up on interviews.

 

[lorian99]

Hey, that's fine, if you retook it and did well like you did. 🙂
I had a couple Ws too, one being a major biology course, also in sophomore year. Retook it, got a B, ran with it, and then I explained myself whenever necessary.
We're premed humans, so it's only to make mistakes and adcoms know that. Just be prepared to answer questions about it in secondaries and when it comes up on interviews.

Thanks for your response.

I actually didn't retake the class. I did complete a 2 semester sequence of general bio at a different university, but it wasn't a specific course on cell bio.

I suppose another concern I have is whether my recent performance in my post-bacc is enough to justify not retaking a course in cell bio. What do you think?

 

[HalpSendHalp]

Thanks for your response.

I actually didn't retake the class. I did complete a 2 semester sequence of general bio at a different university, but it wasn't a specific course on cell bio.

I suppose another concern I have is whether my recent performance in my post-bacc is enough to justify not retaking a course in cell bio. What do you think?

No problem.
I think that should be fine. Usually with quarter system schools especially, the biology requirement is divided into cell bio, genetics, and physiology so if your situation was similar, then retaking that general bio sequence should be fine - cell bio was incorporated, right?
In the case that it is, I think you will be fine. When secondaries ask you to explain some anomalies in your coursework, explain yourself further there.

 

[lorian99]

No problem.
I think that should be fine. Usually with quarter system schools especially, the biology requirement is divided into cell bio, genetics, and physiology so if your situation was similar, then retaking that general bio sequence should be fine - cell bio was incorporated, right?
In the case that it is, I think you will be fine. When secondaries ask you to explain some anomalies in your coursework, explain yourself further there.

Yup! The cell bio course was at a quarter system school and, if I had continued the pre-med coursework there, the following two bio classes would have been genetics and physiology. The two semesters of general bios I took as a post-bacc did involve some cell bio.

Sounds good! Thank you again for your feedback.

 

[moisne]

I had 1 F, 2 W and 2 C's

Admission didn't bat an eye. Two C's for a bad semester (only 2 classes); F in art, W in band or something musical.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[wowzerr]

I withdrew from an Immunology course in my junior year...I missed a midterm after recovering from a nasty cold, thought it would be better to just drop it rather than deal with the headache of trying get a retake request filled. I kept hearing that, while W's aren't ideal, that adcoms weren't going to care all that much if it wasn't a pattern.

Never retook it...a little concerned now.