I’m currently a freshman and I am considering applying as a transfer student and entering as a sophomore. I am coming from a fairly rigorous and prestigious school, and I would be hoping to transfer to a school of a similar academic caliber. Currently, I have 2 As, 2 B+s, and a C. I still have time to either drop the C course or take it pass/fail, and I was wondering what people thought would be the best course of action.
I am taking 5 classes currently, and most other freshmen at my school take 4, so I am already challenging myself in that regard. I still have time to elect to take the course pass/fail or drop it without a record of enrollment. If I work really hard, I could maybe bring that C up to a B-, but that would be very difficult. The course I have the C in isn’t really relevant to my major or what i want to study (I was initially considering studying this subject, but I no longer am.)
I’ve heard that colleges value GPA strongly when evaluating transfer applicants. Without this extra course, my GPA is a 3.665, and I could probably get at least one of the B+s up to an A-, and I would come in at a 3.75.
I’m just concerned that, if I choose to take it pass/fail, colleges will assume I wasn’t doing well and will interpret the pass/fail grade accordingly. If I took it for a grade, even if I didn’t do well, I would at least be more transparent.
What are people’s thoughts on the matter? Any advice would be appreciated, even if it’s just advice on the transfer application process in general