Hi,
I was hoping I could get some advice on this:
I am currently a computer science and visual arts double major about to start junior year, and I already have 3 Ws on my transcript-- 2 in Discrete Mathematics and 1 in Calculus II, due to a mix of family and work reasons. I managed to get an A- in Discrete Mathematics later on, but I am considering withdrawing from my current Calculus II class, and taking it one last time in a later semester, firstly because I have been having a hard time keeping up with the material as I originally planned to take a different course that got cancelled due to under-enrollment so I ended up entering this class 3 days late, and secondly because I have to prepare to TA for a Information Fusion class for my school’s graduate program, by professor recommendation. The Calculus II class I am about to withdraw from is at a local CUNY, so the W won’t go directly on my transcript, but I know that when I apply to grad schools, particularly Columbia University, NYU, or Keio University, for their MS Computer Science programs, they would want my grades from every institution. My GPA is currently at a 3.84, and Calculus II is not required for my major, but since it’s a math course, I know it looks really bad…
The point is, have I significantly hurt my chances of getting into the aforementioned graduate schools?
Thanks
It’s hard to tell. Do you have some sort of experience that outweighs your academic performance? Because at the schools you’ve mentioned there will be candidates who apply who don’t have those marks. I really think the only way you’ll know is to apply to those places and have other schools that are less competitive to which you will apply as well. And the TA issue is neither here nor there; it only looks good if you also do well in classes. Graduate school is a long hard haul. Admissions committees are really leery of people who show signs of not being able to balance academic, personal, and work-related demands. That came straight out of an admission committee faculty at Harvard, so I’m not just spewing words.
Have you hurt your chances? Yes.
Does that mean you absolutely won’t get in anywhere? No.
Anything that you do that’s less than optimal hurts your chances of admissions to gradaute school, but the fact is that there’s no such thing as a perfect applicant. Everyone has that thing they wish they could change about their application package to make it better. And getting a W is better than getting an F.
If you think you are going to fail the class, then withdraw. If you are going to get a C, I’d think about it in the context of the rest of my GPA and my record - if you’re otherwise outstanding, then one C won’t tank you. If you could drop some other commitments and work really hard to get at least a B, I would try to do that to minimize damage to your transcript. If you are an undergrad, why are you preparing to TA a graduate class? If the preparation time is so great that it is making you perform poorly in a class you need for graduate school, perhaps you need to pull back or give up that commitment, or perhaps you’re not ready for it yet.
and @biochemgirl67 is totally right - there will be good candidates who don’t have those marks; the TAing only looks impressive if you display that you have good grades; and graduate committees are really concerned with students who can adequately balance school, work, and life, because that’s what grad school is all about.
It’s been a year since I’ve revisited this thread, but I sincerely thank you for your honest advice. By now I have calmed down, and will hope for the best results for the future ^:)^