Dropping a Class

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Hey forum peeps.</p>

<p>I'm a senior, applying to CC typical schools. I was already accepted to a HYPSM in the early round. To cut to the chase: for about 5-6 years now, my family has had serious issues. Recently, it's come to a head because of the financial aid process. For the past ~1 month I have been spending probably 35 hours a week working with my parents on this - calling the FAFSA people, the CSS people, and being on hold with the IRS as well as trying to mediate all of my parents *****. Before you ask, no, it is impossible for them to work this out without my heavy involvement partially because they're my financial aid apps. I am also obviously enrolled in high school and taking a bunch of classes. My only difficult class this semester is Differential Equations. I have learned very little so far, because really the only grades are the midterm and final so I have blow off the material to work with my parents. The midterm is in two weeks. I am completely unprepared, and I don't for see the parental issue relenting. So I have two options: drop the class, or kill myself learning the material in these remaining two weeks. I turn to you, CC, to help me decide what to do.</p>

<p>Pros of dropping:
a) could have a more enjoyable senior year
b) less stress
c) more sleep
d) there's a 90% chance I'll be retaking in college anyway</p>

<p>Cons of dropping:
a) could jeopardize my admission to HYPSM
b) could jeopardize my prospects to RD schools, which include the other 4 HYPSM. lol.
c) thus far, I have soldiered on so to speak and no one outside of my immediate family knows about my parents issues, including all of the colleges. So if I drop I would probably have to explain that</p>

<p>Other facts:
I have already received an A last semester in Linear Algebra, as well as an A- and A in MV calc last year.
I have until February 25 to drop the class without a W.
^The W probably doesn't matter since I have already told the schools I'm taking the class on my apps anyway.
I have until the day before the final to drop the class with a W.
If I do drop, I could conceivably wait until my admissions decisions are in and then tell the schools, if that would be helpful. But I don't really want to do that because I would still be wasting my classtime, stressing about the class, and it seems disingenuous.</p>

<p>If I call the schools to get an opinion, do you think they would tell me honestly (schools I don't have a decision from yet especially)?</p>

<p>Thanks for any and all advice.</p>

2

<p>First, congratulations on your admission status.</p>

<p>Second, the only ones that can truly provide guidance are the schools that admitted you. </p>

<p>Personally, I’d communicate with the schools to see if dropping would have any impact to your admission. Given that you aren’t doing well (since you’ve blown off the material) in that class, it’s most probable that staying in the class and receiving a less than desirable grade could be more damaging than withdrawing. </p>

<p>As I tell my kids, many times success goes to the person that makes the fewest mistakes. Blowing off the material seems like a mistake that you are now having to deal with. Good luck and, again, congratulations on your admission status.</p>

3

<p>I could pull out at least a B (almost certainly an A) if I stayed in the class. But it would be a lot a lot of work and I don’t know if it’s worth it… Right now I don’t have a grade in the class, the first one will be the midterm coming up.

mmmmm a mistake, maybe, but a pretty unavoidable one.</p>

4

<p>You think you can get an A or B and you want to drop this class? I am not sure I understand your concern.</p>

<p>Differential equations is a class many COLLEGE students either drop or have to retake.</p>

<p>I agree that the only way to low if this will affect admissions or acceptances is to contact the colleges in question and ask.</p>

5

<p>I especially wouldn’t be worried about calling and talking to your EA HYPSM school/ad rep-- they’ve accepted you and want you, and they won’t rescind your application simply for asking.</p>

6

<p>I agree with the above. You’ve been accepted and are trying to do the responsible thing by making sure you can pay the bill once you get there. I would not however use the “more enjoyable sr spring” as one of your reasons. :slight_smile: Make the phone call saying you didn’t want to drop the class until you understood any and all possible ramifications because your education, obviously, is of primary concern.</p>