Hello, I’m a long time lurker and this is my first post.
My daughter is a sophomore in college failing her physics class (not for the lack of trying, but she just doesn’t “get it”).
Some of her friends are taking physics at a community college or a state school.
So, I’m wondering if it would be worth to drop the class right now (with a W) and retake at a lower tier school? Or finish the class and hope for a C (unlikely).
How would this look on med school apps?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Has your daughter sought out one-on-one tutoring for physics? (Should be offered through the academic support office at her college.)
Is she going to recitations and office hours for additional help? Is she doing additional problem sets beside those assigned in class? (The only way to learn physics is to grind through as many different problems as possible.)
Are her math skills adequate for the material? (One of the biggest reasons why students don’t do well in physics is the lack of necessary math skills, particularly in trig.)
[quote]
Some of her friends are taking physics at a community college or a state school.
So, I'm wondering if it would be worth to drop the class right now (with a W) and retake at a lower tier school? Or finish the class and hope for a C (unlikely).
How would this look on med school apps?
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If she doesn't just doesn't "get" physics, there's no guarantee she'll do better in a CC or state U class. Plus she will have less support available at those places.
Will adcomms notice a W in physics at her home college followed by taking the class at another lesser school?
Absolutely. That's something adcomms will definitely take note of when reviewing transcripts. And it's not something that will be looked upon favorably.
If she can squeak out a C in physics, she'll be fine. One C won't keep her out of med school. Hello, thank you for your reply.
She has done everything!! Went through lecture notes and homework problems multiple times; works with private tutor twice per week, etc…
Math skills are definitely adequate - got through all of calculus with flying colors. It’s definitely not a math issue, but a concept issue.
We’re in California and I’m afraid that risking a C may be dangerous.
What do you think?
Med school admissions for Cali residents are always problematic. Too many applicants; too few seats. CA also doesn’t have an in-state admission bias (except for Riverside and the bias is only for IE residents) and has 5 med schools ranked in the top 25. It makes CA an extremely competitive environment for pre-meds.
According to AMCAS data, more than 2/3 of successful CA med school applicants end up going OOS.
So just living in California is “dangerous” when it comes to med school admissions. (Much more dangerous than a C in physics.) Your daughter is going to need to apply widely to OOS schools when it’s time for her to submit her app.
Assuming everything else is in good shape (GPA, MCAT, ECs, LORs etc.), a single C isn’t going to keep her out of med school.
I agree with the poster above. That said, my best advice as a doctor is drop the class, and try again at a community college or a summer program. Try to maximize the chances to raise that C to at least a B. One “bad grade” won’t keep you out, but do everything you can to raise the GPA.
I vote for the motion of dropping the class and try it in another time. Obviously one C will not stop her from med school, however I’d worry about her second part of physics class. If she can’t get the concept of physics altoghether she would have a problem not only in applying for med school but also to complete the med school even if she got in.