What would dental schools prefer?

[ias2512]

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Ok...im just gonna ask plainly - is a W better than a C? This applies to any course, any time...

 

[americanpierg]

Ok...im just gonna ask plainly - is a W better than a C? This applies to any course, any time...

it doesnt work like that... in the OVERALL picture a C is better than a W, but if you dont have any Ws and already have a low gpa and is trying to raise it, getting that W instead of that C would be more beneficial, it all depends on the circumstance

 

[lgreen_aci]

I would assume a C is better than a W.

A W or C is not the end of the world though. Lots of people on here have said they had multiple W's, and I'm sure many have had multiple C's, and still got in.

 

[briansle]

Ok...im just gonna ask plainly - is a W better than a C? This applies to any course, any time...

Dental Schools prefer GPA's around 3.3-3.5. SO PROTECT YOUR GPA AT ALL COSTS.

I was in your exact same shoes 2 years ago, deciding whether to take a C in genetics or the W. Another older and wiser pre-dent told me to take the W rather than having a 2.0 averaged into my GPA. A "C" just kills your GPA. Best advice I've received at SDN.

Remember your GPA will be bound to you wherever you go. When job recruiters look at your resume they only see the GPA. Your GPA will be a mark on your face whatever field you choose in life. So lets say you decide to apply to law school. They won't care if you have a W in O-Chem, but they will care that you have a sub 3.0 GPA.

I hated taking the W. I felt sick to my stomach and wanted to claw my eyes out. But I knew I couldn't risk getting a C. Many college students have the misconception that W's are worse than C's. Not True. A 3.4 with 2-3 W's looks a hell of alot better than a 2.9.
Drop it and don't look back

 

[deejay]

C

 

[ias2512]

Dental Schools prefer GPA's around 3.3-3.5. SO PROTECT YOUR GPA AT ALL COSTS.

I was in your exact same shoes 2 years ago, deciding whether to take a C in genetics or the W. Another older and wiser pre-dent told me to take the W rather than having a 2.0 averaged into my GPA. A "C" just kills your GPA. Best advice I've received at SDN.

Remember your GPA will be bound to you wherever you go. When job recruiters look at your resume they only see the GPA. Your GPA will be a mark on your face whatever field you choose in life. So lets say you decide to apply to law school. They won't care if you have a W in O-Chem, but they will care that you have a sub 3.0 GPA.

I hated taking the W. I felt sick to my stomach and wanted to claw my eyes out. But I knew I couldn't risk getting a C. Many college students have the misconception that W's are worse than C's. Not True. A 3.4 with 2-3 W's looks a hell of alot better than a 2.9.
Drop it and don't look back

Thanks Briansle. Thats the problem im in right now. Everyone is ALWAYS talking about GPA, so im also gonna assume that getting a C in O-Chem will look bad, but not look as bad a getting a 2.0 in my GPA...thx again, thats wat i wanted to hear.

 

[DIRTIE]

Thanks Briansle. Thats the problem im in right now. Everyone is ALWAYS talking about GPA, so im also gonna assume that getting a C in O-Chem will look bad, but not look as bad a getting a 2.0 in my GPA...thx again, thats wat i wanted to hear.

A c is 500 thousand times worse. They don't even look at Ws on your transcript. No matter what anybody tells you, drop the class if you are going to get a C, unless you don't care about your future. Schools look at your DAT score and your GPA. 90% of criteria. A C is devestating to a GPA, a W is nothing more than a ? mark. Just don't have 10 Ws or something like that, but a coulple of them is absolutely nothing to worry about.

 

[PDizzle]

A c is 500 thousand times worse. They don't even look at Ws on your transcript. No matter what anybody tells you, drop the class if you are going to get a C, unless you don't care about your future. Schools look at your DAT score and your GPA. 90% of criteria. A C is devestating to a GPA, a W is nothing more than a ? mark. Just don't have 10 Ws or something like that, but a coulple of them is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Totally agree. W's are no biggie at all. I had tons of them (I think I had like 8 or 9). A C sucks and should be avoided at all costs. Take the W if you know you cant pull at least a B-.

The bottom line is GPA!!!. Get that sucka up, and keep it up.

 

[whiskeysour]

are you all kidding??

A "C" is wayyyyyyy better than a "W". A "W" says that you couldn't hack it and were just too lazy to get a passing grade. Adcoms KNOW this. Some schools see this on the same level as an F, others see it as laziness....and a very small percentage probably disregard it.

This is coming from someone with a couple D's on their transcript, and a science GPA still over 3.5.. so those that say that a C will kill your GPA are full of it.

In an interview, what are you going to tell them when they ask about your W's? That you were too lazy? That's about the only answer you could give em. How about when they ask about your C or God forbid D? 😱 You can be creative and tell them what you learned from the experience...

 

[DIRTIE]

You are giving very bad advice. Are you in dental school? Do you know what adcoms look at? No schools see a W as an F. That is just plain ******ed and you are way way out there on what is correct. They will never ask you about a W on your transcript, are you serious? They have better things to talk about. But they will will ask you what the crap you were doing getting a D and look at you like you like are you some kind of idiot, why didn't you have the brains to drop the class before it turned into a D grade. Hello!!!!!!!!
PS. nice DAT score, good luck on that one buddy

QUOTE=whiskeysour]are you all kidding??

A "C" is wayyyyyyy better than a "W". A "W" says that you couldn't hack it and were just too lazy to get a passing grade. Adcoms KNOW this. Some schools see this on the same level as an F, others see it as laziness....and a very small percentage probably disregard it.

This is coming from someone with a couple D's on their transcript, and a science GPA still over 3.5.. so those that say that a C will kill your GPA are full of it.

In an interview, what are you going to tell them when they ask about your W's? That you were too lazy? That's about the only answer you could give em. How about when they ask about your C or God forbid D? 😱 You can be creative and tell them what you learned from the experience...[/QUOTE]

 

[whiskeysour]

You are giving very bad advice. Are you in dental school? Do you know what adcoms look at? No schools see a W as an F. That is just plain ******ed and you are way way out there on what is correct. They will never ask you about a W on your transcript, are you serious? They have better things to talk about. But they will will ask you what the crap you were doing getting a D and look at you like you like are you some kind of idiot, why didn't you have the brains to drop the class before it turned into a D grade. Hello!!!!!!!!
PS. nice DAT score, good luck on that one buddy

no comment 🙂

 

[PDizzle]

are you all kidding??

A "C" is wayyyyyyy better than a "W". A "W" says that you couldn't hack it and were just too lazy to get a passing grade. Adcoms KNOW this. Some schools see this on the same level as an F, others see it as laziness....and a very small percentage probably disregard it.

This is coming from someone with a couple D's on their transcript, and a science GPA still over 3.5.. so those that say that a C will kill your GPA are full of it.

In an interview, what are you going to tell them when they ask about your W's? That you were too lazy? That's about the only answer you could give em. How about when they ask about your C or God forbid D? 😱 You can be creative and tell them what you learned from the experience...

You got that turned around a$$ backwards, my friend. I seriously have like 8 or 9 W's and it wasn't brought once and I got into a fairly tough school. You think I would have got in if I had 8 C's or D's?? And, yes, that question was rhetorical.

A 'W' can mean any number of things. You could have got sick the day of a test that couldn't be made up or your brother could have died in a car wreck or your scorching case or herpes flared up that day....who knows? The AdComs sure the heck know what a C or a D means though. With a 'W' there is a warm blanket of ambiguity.

I say, take the 'W' over a 'C' any day of the week and twice on Sunday!!

 

[dat_student]

Ok...im just gonna ask plainly - is a W better than a C? This applies to any course, any time...

make sure you don't get both W and C. If you decide W is best for you make sure you get a solid A the following term.

 

[nd7]

hey i too was in those same shoes, taking Orgo II and had a C about midterm so instead of risking my GPA, I took the W, retook the class the next semester and got an A. Ad-coms don't care about W's as long as you don't get a C or D the next time around. Note to the wise-be careful about the way you classify the W's when you submit your AADSAS app or else they will screw up your GPA.

 

[IndDent]

To the OP, a C would look better than a W any day, any time, any where. Not only does it show that you stuck to your guns in the face of overwhelming odds, but it says something about your character if you retake the course and do well above your previous grade.

The last thing dental schools want to see is Withdrawn anywhere on someone's transcript, because it is a huge risk for the adcom to admit someone who has a history of withdrawing when things get rough. Think about it this way...what if a course at dental school is so tough...and you withdrew, meaning you have to repeat the course...that's a huge financial loss for the school in terms of time and seat availability.

While neither a C nor a W is something anyone should have on their transcript, it happens, and at this point in the game a C is very honorable in comparison to a W.

Indy

 

[hockeydentist]

To the OP, a C would look better than a W any day, any time, any where. Not only does it show that you stuck to your guns in the face of overwhelming odds, but it says something about your character if you retake the course and do well above your previous grade.

The last thing dental schools want to see is Withdrawn anywhere on someone's transcript, because it is a huge risk for the adcom to admit someone who has a history of withdrawing when things get rough. Think about it this way...what if a course at dental school is so tough...and you withdrew, meaning you have to repeat the course...that's a huge financial loss for the school in terms of time and seat availability.

While neither a C nor a W is something anyone should have on their transcript, it happens, and at this point in the game a C is very honorable in comparison to a W.

Indy

I agree, but there is no financial loss taking a class over again for schools. Regardless schools still make the buck if you withdraw from a class and retake it. Most drop dates are set well into the semester, after one has paid there tuition.

HD

 

[nd7]

It all depends on if your school policy allows you to take over a C. My undergraduate school wouldn't allow a retake of a C (unless you petitioned the prof, the head of the department, and the dean-they ALL had to say yes-never happens). To retake, you had to have a D or F.

Plus I think GPA wise it would be better to have an A (4.0) on your transcript for retaking the course-assuming you do well the second time-rather than a C as well as an A which still average out to a B (3.0).

To the OP, a C would look better than a W any day, any time, any where. Not only does it show that you stuck to your guns in the face of overwhelming odds, but it says something about your character if you retake the course and do well above your previous grade.

The last thing dental schools want to see is Withdrawn anywhere on someone's transcript, because it is a huge risk for the adcom to admit someone who has a history of withdrawing when things get rough. Think about it this way...what if a course at dental school is so tough...and you withdrew, meaning you have to repeat the course...that's a huge financial loss for the school in terms of time and seat availability.

While neither a C nor a W is something anyone should have on their transcript, it happens, and at this point in the game a C is very honorable in comparison to a W.

Indy

 

[donkeywhisperer]

To the OP, a C would look better than a W any day, any time, any where. Not only does it show that you stuck to your guns in the face of overwhelming odds, but it says something about your character if you retake the course and do well above your previous grade.

The last thing dental schools want to see is Withdrawn anywhere on someone's transcript, because it is a huge risk for the adcom to admit someone who has a history of withdrawing when things get rough. Think about it this way...what if a course at dental school is so tough...and you withdrew, meaning you have to repeat the course...that's a huge financial loss for the school in terms of time and seat availability.

While neither a C nor a W is something anyone should have on their transcript, it happens, and at this point in the game a C is very honorable in comparison to a W.

Indy

I, like so many others on this thread, disagree with this post. Now I wish that I had just taken the W in genetics instead of my C cause you can bet your sweet ace that every single interviewer asked me about that damn C. Plus lots of schools just run an equation with your GPA and DAT to see who will get an interview. They also probably read your LoRs and Personal Statement to make sure you're not a ******, but if your GPA doesn't measure up then you are already out of the game. I also had a W in another class and nobody said a thing about it.

 

[whiskeysour]

Those that say that a W is better than a C are probably those with plenty of them. A single C or D is NOT going to screw up your GPA if you are a good student. period. If you are a slacker and get mostly B's, then YES, a C will look bad.

Stick to your guns, do the best you can, and finish the course. If for whatever reason you have to take it over, ace it. It shows that you are persistent, and won't let a bad grade get you down.

A W is the easy way out, you couldn't hack it, and will try again when you are motivated or an easier prof is teaching it. Some schools don't care about the W, others do. But for me, personally, I'd rather know I tried my hardest than taken the easy way out anyday.

I think this is more of an ethical/moral (whatever you want to call it) decision than anything else...and i guess we see where some people stand

 

[americanpierg]

Dental Schools prefer GPA's around 3.3-3.5. SO PROTECT YOUR GPA AT ALL COSTS.

Would it hurt me greatly if i took 12 credit hours during a summer, then only took 14 credit hours for the remaining semesters? should i just not take those summer semesters and split it up to bring it up to 16-17 credit hours a semseter?!

 

[americanpierg]

You got that turned around a$$ backwards, my friend. I seriously have like 8 or 9 W's and it wasn't brought once and I got into a fairly tough school. You think I would have got in if I had 8 C's or D's?? And, yes, that question was rhetorical.

how many schools did u apply to? if u applied to more than two and u didnt get asked once about 8-9 Ws, then u mustve been the luckiest one in the application cycle, 2-3 Ws may slip through, but 9 is just insane and a waste of money at that, 9 Ws should easily raise red flags left and right, thats like switching schools 5 times and not having anyone ask about it, even the later can be much easier to make up some stories for

 

[whiskeysour]

I, like so many others on this thread, disagree with this post. Now I wish that I had just taken the W in genetics instead of my C cause you can bet your sweet ace that every single interviewer asked me about that damn C. Plus lots of schools just run an equation with your GPA and DAT to see who will get an interview. They also probably read your LoRs and Personal Statement to make sure you're not a ******, but if your GPA doesn't measure up then you are already out of the game. I also had a W in another class and nobody said a thing about it.

you got into dental school, right? who cares. obviously that C didn't hurt you too bad.

 

[americanpierg]

you got into dental school, right? who cares. obviously that C didn't hurt you too bad.

who cares about Cs, ur not going to med school, take those Cs, shove them into a drawer, and go get urself a nice cold bud light

btw i dont condone drinking, i myself am a chocolate milk man....mmmm millk... good for the bones... no osteoporosis for me!

 

[Yellow Snow]

Totally agree. W's are no biggie at all. I had tons of them (I think I had like 8 or 9). A C sucks and should be avoided at all costs. Take the W if you know you cant pull at least a B-.

The bottom line is GPA!!!. Get that sucka up, and keep it up.

I would take the W all the way. A W is an unknown...doesn't mean you couldn't hack it. Maybe your dad stopped paying for a part of your tuition and it was too late to get a clean drop, etc. A C means just that; average performance for the course.

W can be chalked up to anything. Of course, if this is gonna be like your 15th W you may wanna take the C...

 

[Yellow Snow]

Those that say that a W is better than a C are probably those with plenty of them. A single C or D is NOT going to screw up your GPA if you are a good student. period. If you are a slacker and get mostly B's, then YES, a C will look bad.

Stick to your guns, do the best you can, and finish the course. If for whatever reason you have to take it over, ace it. It shows that you are persistent, and won't let a bad grade get you down.

A W is the easy way out, you couldn't hack it, and will try again when you are motivated or an easier prof is teaching it. Some schools don't care about the W, others do. But for me, personally, I'd rather know I tried my hardest than taken the easy way out anyday.

I think this is more of an ethical/moral (whatever you want to call it) decision than anything else...and i guess we see where some people stand

Hmm...I just can't believe that a C somehow has more moral value than a W and I absolutely don't believe that adcoms are going to see someone with a W on their transcript as a quitter.

Bottom line is this: get a W, retake with an A = 4.0 gpa for that class. Get a C, retake with an A = 3.0 gpa for that class.

 

[DIRTIE]

Strange view on things. I have more important moral and ethical dilemas to worry about than if I take a W or a C. You have to see the big picture, which is getting accepted. If that is all you care about than trust me a W is better. It is obvious to a logical thinking person, higher GPA= getting into dental school Lower GPA= not getting in, or maybe to aschool less desirable. Trust me I know what I am talking about when it comes to dental admissions. Think about if you take it once with a C,take it the cecond time and get an A at best, you are still sitting at a 3.0 as far as aadsas calculates it, so take the W which counts for nothing then decide to take it later if you need it and get an A= 4.0, hummmm pretty hard math there sour man

Those that say that a W is better than a C are probably those with plenty of them. A single C or D is NOT going to screw up your GPA if you are a good student. period. If you are a slacker and get mostly B's, then YES, a C will look bad.

Stick to your guns, do the best you can, and finish the course. If for whatever reason you have to take it over, ace it. It shows that you are persistent, and won't let a bad grade get you down.

A W is the easy way out, you couldn't hack it, and will try again when you are motivated or an easier prof is teaching it. Some schools don't care about the W, others do. But for me, personally, I'd rather know I tried my hardest than taken the easy way out anyday.

I think this is more of an ethical/moral (whatever you want to call it) decision than anything else...and i guess we see where some people stand

 

[donkeywhisperer]

you got into dental school, right? who cares. obviously that C didn't hurt you too bad.

Yeah but I'm still hoping to get accepted to UNLV, and I know for sure that they run an equation like I talked about before and the people with the highest score after they run it are the first ones concidered for acceptance. Believe me that I'm happy to go to Tufts, but I wouldn't mind having other options too.

 

[Iheartkulfi]

It depends on the person really. I'm the type who would rather get fired than quit, so I would definitely take a C over a W any day.