Datsa’s post got me thinking about a question that I have had for some time. I have quite a few W’s; some from years ago, a couple from the last year or two where, for example, I withdrew from a correspondence Med Terminology class and took the formal Med Terminology, but did it after the first week, my college issued a W. A couple W’s were in classes such as Health Skills (a CNA type, nurse prep class).
How do W’s effect AACOMAS GPA calculation? How do W’s effect an applicant at all?
Thanks,
Crepitus
Hey I don’t know much about how a W affect a GPA. In fact I don’t think they count. However, I do believe, based on my understanding, that multiple and repeat Ws are not a good thing. It would show lack of commitment and poor judgment UNLESS, they are explained in a statement.
In texas there is a limit for the number of W you can have during your undergrad (6 total). Ws are for people who take classes but for who something very bad happen. It seems easier to justify 3 Ws for the same semester than 3 Ws at a rate of 1 per semester.
That’s as much I know (not sure if all this is true). The statement would be the part to compensate with a strong reason as to why you elected a W (versus trying and getting a C or B).
My 2 cents.
I actually had 1 W from my undergrad a long time ago and about 8 from some recent online courses. Two I just couldn’t cope with due to a severe spike in work load and the other were ones that I started and then dropped when I was told that online wasn’t the best option if I wanted to go to med school. I just explained the latter in my personal statement (a very short comment at the end of the statement - 1 sentence). They showed up in my GPA calculations, but hey, I got in so they weren’t that big a deal apparently.
Lynda
I had one W because I dropped an online CC math class to take the real class at university the next semester, and didn’t bother explaining it at any point but am prepared to do so in interviews should it come up.
I had two more in my 3rd year at university, when my grades dropped and I was spending all my free time at work. I dropped those 2 classes because the class work took up time I needed at the office, and I totally screwed my GPA with it. I ended up briefly discussing it in my personal statement, and for a few secondaries had a prompt that made an in-depth explanation a good way to go.
So, short version, I think how it affects you depends on when they happened, and how prepared you are to defend your reasoning for doing so.
- Crepitus Said:
How do W's effect AACOMAS GPA calculation?
They don't.
- Crepitus Said:
How do W's effect an applicant at all?
It depends on the circumstances of your situation and if you can adequately address it in your personal statement and/or secondary applications.
FWIW, I took a leave of absence from college halfway through my junior year and ended up with 12 semester hours worth of W's on my transcript. I was accepted to 2 MD schools (and possibly more if I had applied in early June instead of late September).
I have 5 W’s on my transcript, all from post-bacc.
Two were in one semester in 2008, my worst so far.
In one of those courses, the lab professor kept yelling at us students in lab; he was verbally abusive.
The other course, nothing seemed to go right.
The other times, I took a W because I did not want to get more C’s (I have 5 of those, too.)
Now my questions become:
- Do I need to address my academics in my personal statement?
- Must my personal statement be about how I came to choose to be a doctor / to go to medical school or my path to getting to the point of applying to med school? I had planned on a different approach that does not mention academics at all (see my new post about this).
From what I understand it is always a good idea to address any academic “hiccups” in your PS. The committees want to see how you jave moved on from that situation. Doesn’t have to be indepth, but you should at least show growth.
Thanks everybody, 'bout what I thought it might be.
Crep