I know this topic has come up many times on this forum, but I can’t seem to find the old posts on the topic.
It looks as if I may be getting a dreaded “C” in Cell Biology this term. Do I take the class over for a better grade or just move on? I’m maintaining a 3.2 GPA at the moment with a few more classes to go till I apply.
Maria
Maria
i havent taken cell bio yet, but i have a few questions that came to mind after i read your post:
- When you say “move on” are you in your last semester?
- does your school offer a “forgiveness policy” where you can retake up to a certain number of classes and the new (hopefully better) grade overrides the old one, thus boosting your gpa?
- how many “c”'s in other classes?
Those would be the questions I would ask myself…
At my school they offer a forgiveness policy so I would certainly retake it if i had the time… but then again, Im not sure cell bio is a pre-req (??) so… I dont know… I can argue both sides.
Unfortunatly there is no forgivness policy at this college. I have one other C+ in Gen ChemI. the rest are mostyl B’s and some A’s. I plan to apply to med school next summer for Fall 2011 entry.
More importantly than this individual grade, you must identify why you are struggling academically. Your coursework in med school will be far more challenging and move at a blistering pace vs. what you are stuggling with in Ugrad. For most folks, the problem is not their capability. It is them trying to learn as they have told they are supposed to learn instead of learning in the fashion that actually works best for them.
Also I was under the impression that grade forgiveness although your university might take it into account when calculating your GPA the medical school will not…am I correct in assuming this?
Rhonda is right. While an individual school may have a “forgiveness policy,” when you apply to med school you must report every grade earned in every class taken at the college level. Your AMCAS/AACOMAS calculated GPA is not going to be exactly the same as the GPA you earn at a particular school - they will calculate it according to their specific requirements.
No matter what your grade, what are you learning in cell bio? This is a critical foundational class and if your grade reflects that you’ve not learned the material well, you may benefit from re-taking. Furthermore, it could be considered a “core prereq” - depending on what your other bio credits are, and what kind of grades you’ve got.
So your question is actually not quite as simple as it sounds! Good luck to you
Mary
token, you may want to consider dropping, and go back to the drawing board to figure out what went wrong. W is generally better than C because W does not figure into the GPA, although adcoms may notice it and ask you about it. Best of luck,
It’s too late to drop, so I’ll be taking it again this fall.
well yes, when I mentioned a “forgiveness policy” I was not suggesting that the grade is erased or completely unaccounted for. Of course it will remain on your transcript but at least there is an option for retaking it and helping out your GPA somewhat.
I agree with Mary though, cell bio is pretty much as critical foundation class. So based on that, I’m glad you say you are retaking it, token. good luck to you!