When to disclose?

[burnerphone]

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First, I'm not new to the forums I just made a new account to protect my privacy.

Here's my situation, I submitted my primaries while I was taking summer classes and during the summer a traumatic event happened(vague I know) and I ended up getting a D+ in a science class I was taking. This class isn't a pre-req at any of the schools I've applied to and it's technically passing for my major. Now the sticky part is I didn't disclose this in the "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us" section of my secondaries because I personally don't feel like I should have to disclose my situation (what happened, not the grade) to whomever may end up reading my app. Obviously I feel like schools should know about the grade, but given that I went on an interview recently where current med students had read my app and were asking questions about it, I stand by my decision to not include the grade in my secondary.

I talked to my pre-health advisor and he said he felt I did the right thing given the circumstance, and he talked to deans at schools I didn't apply to to get their opinion & they said at their school it would be fine, just disclose the information to the dean after acceptance and they'll determine on a case by case basis if I should have to retake the class. My question now is when do I need to have this conversation? I've already gotten an acceptance at a school I like, but I'm not positive I'm going to end up there. Do I need to tell every dean of every school I get in to or should I wait when I feel more confident narrowing schools down? This burden is weighing heavily on me and I feel like the longer I wait schools will feel like I'm a liar or something. The deans at the schools he spoke to reassured me that that shouldn't be the case but I'm still worried.

Does anyone have any advice here?

 

[BABSstudent]

First, I'm not new to the forums I just made a new account to protect my privacy.

Here's my situation, I submitted my primaries while I was taking summer classes and during the summer a traumatic event happened(vague I know) and I ended up getting a D+ in a science class I was taking. This class isn't a pre-req at any of the schools I've applied to and it's technically passing for my major. Now the sticky part is I didn't disclose this in the "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us" section of my secondaries because I personally don't feel like I should have to disclose my situation (what happened, not the grade) to whomever may end up reading my app. Obviously I feel like schools should know about the grade, but given that I went on an interview recently where current med students had read my app and were asking questions about it, I stand by my decision to not include the grade in my secondary.

I talked to my pre-health advisor and he said he felt I did the right thing given the circumstance, and he talked to deans at schools I didn't apply to to get their opinion & they said at their school it would be fine, just disclose the information to the dean after acceptance and they'll determine on a case by case basis if I should have to retake the class. My question now is when do I need to have this conversation? I've already gotten an acceptance at a school I like, but I'm not positive I'm going to end up there. Do I need to tell every dean of every school I get in to or should I wait when I feel more confident narrowing schools down? This burden is weighing heavily on me and I feel like the longer I wait schools will feel like I'm a liar or something. The deans at the schools he spoke to reassured me that that shouldn't be the case but I'm still worried.

Does anyone have any advice here?

Don't disclose unless you have been accepted. You can always offer to repeat the course if needed, but I doubt they will mind if you give a reason.

 

[burnerphone]

Don't disclose unless you have been accepted. You can always offer to repeat the course if needed, but I doubt they will mind if you give a reason.

So if I have an acceptance now, is this a conversation I should be having relatively soon?

 

[LizzyM]

If the course is not a pre-req and if they have accepted you with the idea that you never took such a course, why should you be required to retake the course? I'm just not following the logic here. You will have to provide the transcript next summer and if your gpa is way below what the school feels it should be, you could be in hot water (the idea being that you shouldn't have a senior slump of legendary proportions) but other than that, I can't see this being a big deal.

 

[burnerphone]

If the course is not a pre-req and if they have accepted you with the idea that you never took such a course, why should you be required to retake the course? I'm just not following the logic here. You will have to provide the transcript next summer and if your gpa is way below what the school feels it should be, you could be in hot water (the idea being that you shouldn't have a senior slump of legendary proportions) but other than that, I can't see this being a big deal.

I guess I'm just concerned since it's a science class & idk if there's some minimum grade in each class I have to obtain.

 

[wiloghby]

I guess I'm just concerned since it's a science class & idk if there's some minimum grade in each class I have to obtain.

Still, the bottom line is this: disclose when you have to (as LizzyM said, next summer) -- the assumption is that your grades this fall and next spring should be somewhat similar to your grades before the D+. If that's the case, it shouldn't be a big deal. If the vague traumatic event is going to affect your fall grades and your Spring 2014 grades, too .... then you might have a problem when you disclose.

But from the scope of your question, I suspect you have recovered. Good job.

 

[BABSstudent]

So if I have an acceptance now, is this a conversation I should be having relatively soon?

I would ask the question to the school that accepted you to find out if they would like a retake to happen. I doubt they will request it. Just don't let your grades tank.