W or C

[LLB03]

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Hello, I am a first semester senior with no previous withdrawals and around a 3.7 gpa. I have overloaded my schedule pretty bad this semester and struggling in a very high level biology course and its associated lab. I don’t know whether I should continue with the class and lab to try to get a B with a high likelyhood of a C or if I should just withdraw from the class. For the lab I am basically at the point that a B is impossible and I have a good fighting chance in the class. I am scared that a med school won’t think I will be able to handle their curriculum if I withdraw from the classes, but a C would tank my gpa to almost a point of no return. Please let me know what you think the best course of action is. Thank you

 

[LizzyM]

Take the W if you don't need the credits to graduate. You are not protecting a 4.0 and acting on perfectionist tendencies given your GPA and you really can't afford to tank your sGPA with a C if you are going to be (re)applying after this semester. If anyone sees how many credits you were registered for, they will not fault you for dropping something to lighten the load to something more reasonable.

 

[LLB03]

Ok thank you. That’s what I was thinking too. Do you think two W in one semester would be alarming?

 

[Goro]

Ok thank you. That’s what I was thinking too. Do you think two W in one semester would be alarming?

No. What's alarming is a multitude of W's scattered all over a transcript that is filled with good grades. That telegraphs someone is trying to protect their GPA

 

[LLB03]

Thank you for your intel!

 

[LizzyM]

If the two are the course and the lab, then it makes sense that it is two and not just one.

 

[AJ25]

No. What's alarming is a multitude of W's scattered all over a transcript that is filled with good grades. That telegraphs someone is trying to protect their GPA

True. But it could also mean the person might have a chronic illness or a bad home environment that is interfering with their classes. The situation has to be looked at in the context of the individual. Also, you can't just assume people are trying to protect their GPA's by taking W's because W's are expensive too.

 

[LizzyM]

True. But it could also mean the person might have a chronic illness or a bad home environment that is interfering with their classes. The situation has to be looked at in the context of the individual. Also, you can't just assume people are trying to protect their GPA's by taking W's because W's are expensive too.

Someone with a chronic illness or a difficult home life is unlikely to have multiple Ws and a 4.0. @Goro and I have been at this for a few decades and we've seen it all.