I still have not finished my thesis. It was not scientifically written at first and then my advisor wanted me to expand on several points. Now that the MCAT anxiety is over, I can really concentrate on the thesis. My advisor already has the 2 more greulling sections, the introduction and the discussion.
Our plan is to have the report completed by September and defend my thesis as soon as school starts up again. In the meanting there is a grade issue.
My advisor submitted my grade as an incomplete. However, the computer automatically changes the Incomplete to an F in the first couple weeks of the new semester. When I asked my advisor to reset the grade, she told me that the administration is not too keen on doing this again. She asked if I can hold off my application until September. This is where my question comes in.
Should I submit my application with the false F knowing that I will be sending in an updated transcript later on, or should I just wait? My application is almost finished, I am putting the finishing touches on the personal statement and will submit real soon.
thanks for your advise.
Gabe
Gabe,
It’s a really hard question. Isn’t there any way that your advisor can overwrite the grade? It really doesn’t sound right to me that you have to have a ‘false’ F on your transcript even for a while. There must be some way around it. Is there someone you can talk about that: like a registrar or an equivalent? Or at least someone who uderstands the application process to med school a little bit better?
What if an F on you thesis is going to keep you away from getting secondaries? And applying in September unecessary puts you in a disadventage of joining the applicants pool too late. Especially now when your MCAT is so good!!!
Gabe,
I think this is worth asking your advisor to fight for you over. Explain to him that as many as half the interview opportunities could be gone by September and that early interviews make a big differenc in your changes for acceptance. Most people don’t know how early med school seats are filled, so he probably thinks you can apply a month or two later in the process and it’s no big deal. He may be willing to go to bat for you if he understands better how important it is.
If that’s really not possible, try to find a way to explain on your personal statement that your “F” is really your campus’s cute way of reporting an incomplete.
My Advisor told me that she would be glad to have the grade changed, but I have to talk to administration about it. I e-mailed my pre-med advisor on this. So hopefully, it will be changed.
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH
My pre-med advisor wants me to finish the thesis first 
Is there any way you can finish it any time soon?
Gabe,
Did you talk to your pre-med advisor in person and pour on the charm? It’s probably worth the effort to do so.
- madkasia Said:
No. My thesis advisor cannot meet until August and the faculty do not come back until September
- samenewme Said:
Did you talk to your pre-med advisor in person and pour on the charm? It's probably worth the effort to do so.
I do not think it will do any good her response is that October is still early.
She’s full of it, but that’s manageable. Have a nice, heart to heart talk with her, showing that you’re making the effort to get this going and this is important to you and try to get her to make a little effort for you. Remind her that as an older student with kids and presumably a limited geographic area of opportunity you can’t afford to be early enough–you have to be super prompt.
She might just not want to jump through the hoops but you might be able to persuade her if you pour on the charm. She might also be afraid you’ll just never finish it if she gets you the I. Talk to her about it and see if that’s her deal and then see if you can clear that up for her.
It’s a lot harder to say no to a nice hardworking man sitting right in front of your face.
- samenewme Said:
Or just sleep with her
I wasn’t actually talking about that kind of charm. I don’t think Gabe’s wife and kids are quite that desperate to get him into med school.
So I spoke with the dean who informed me that all my thesis advisor needs to do is to write a letter to the registrar granting an extension to the incomplete.
Hopefully this will be done soon and I can send the transcript and finally submit.
So what you need to do is compose the letter and have her sign it. (no, I’m not kidding or being facetious.)
Mary
So the dean e-mailed me from vacation. My mentor just needs to write a justification for the extension.
In the meantime I have completed corrections on the materials/methods, results, and tables.
I am reviewing the introduction once again with the figures and tables and have been making more corrections and changes. I am even saw that I need to add a small paragraph or two about a certain genetic phenomena. Well I have the references for it and should be able to add it to the introduction over the next few days.
Hopefully she will write the justification and I get the grade changed and I can be a button pusher.