<p>It may be a moot point as my D is not sure she wants to drop the class, but I am of the opinion that a D (OK, she might pull it up somewhat) looks worse than a W, particularly if it is in your major.</p>
<p>Opinions?</p>
<p>The question is not so much “how it looks”. A grade of D drags down the GPA, while a W does not. Also, some majors require that you get at least a C in all major courses in order for it to be accepted, so if you get a D you would have to retake the class. And then they might replace the D or average the 2 grades depending on policy. The only reason not to drop if things are not looking so good is if it would set you back a semester or a year.</p>
<p>Let me add to that a little. Students might also chose to take a hit from a D when dropping leaves them below full time status. Dropping below full time can have implications for housing, fin aid, athletic eligibility, and a few other opportunities. As far as how a W looks? Well, it looks like you dropped a class. Nothing more.</p>
<p>I agree, a grade of D looks worse than a W – W shows the student at least had the sense to drop.
In hiring for my office, we request transcripts, and see the Ws. A few offices do not see transcripts, only GPA as reported by the applicant, but most ask for transcripts.<br>
I am really only concerned if the W is a course directly related to the student’s major or our office’s work (which are usually one and the same). I don’t care much if it’s just one, maybe two Ws in a 4-year span – but would be concerned with more than one or two.
And I admire the kids who later retake the same course and get a decent grade.
I am sure you are counseling your D that in the future, she should bail on a class before the W appears. My son’s college is pretty good about getting a big test grade posted before the add/drop date.</p>
<p>Well, she’s a Junior and this would be her first (hopefully only) W. The class is in one of her majors and she is currently planning to retake it next year. If she does not, she will have enough classes for a minor at the end of next semester and she is on track with another major already. She will still be full time, so that’s not an issue. She will have enough classes to graduate even with a reduced load this semester.</p>
<p>It would have been nice to be able to drop before the add/drop date, but I believe (I may be wrong here) that the date is very early before any grades were posted. She knew she was having trouble, but not the extent of it.</p>
<p>Oh well…live and learn.</p>
<p>I agree with MidwestMom17 and ordinarylives. One or two Ws in an undergraduate career would be okay. Many folks have gotten into top grad schools with a W or two. Many Ws are nonpunitive and those are not counted by the LSAC, for example. I would suggest as MidwestMom17 mentions to use them sparingly. You don’t want a pattern of Ws, but one or two can save a GPA.</p>
<p>A couple of Ws on a transcript is not a problem. The presence of a lot of Ws sends up red flags that a student is a course shopper who is trying to evade academic challenge, or starts things he/she can’t finish. But that doesn’t look like the case here.</p>
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<p>It looks like you *late-*dropped a class past the usual drop deadline.</p>
<p>^depends on the school. At one I work at, if they drop once classes start, it’s a W.</p>
<p>I agree - one or two w’s don’t hurt a transcript</p>
<p>Drop the class. Don’t jeopardize the GPA. My son dropped one of his classes on Friday on the last day of deadline prior to deadline. If he would have missed the date, I would have encouraged him to drop even with a W since class is part of major.</p>
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<p>At my institution, the period to drop a class without a W appearing on the transcript is one week after classes start. Yep, one week. To me, a W doesn’t look like a late drop at all. </p>
<p>Toward the end of the semester, rather than just a W, the student receives a WF or a WP (withdraw, passing). WFs will be figured into the GPA as Fs. Now, that’s what looks like the late withdraw.</p>
<p>I spoke to D last night and told her the opinions on CC. It seems like she trusts you more than me so she has agreed to talk to her dean and drop the class. She told me that she is just so embarrassed because she’s supposed to be “smart.”</p>
<p>I also have to agree with ordinarylives - D’s school has a very short drop/add period. I believe it’s 2 weeks but it may actually be even shorter.</p>
<p>Amending what i said above–W’s start in the second week, not as soon as classes start, where I work. But still a very short time, much like QMom’s D’s school. It’s too bad there isn’t standardization, since a W so early may mean something quite different from a W halfway through the semester.</p>
<p>It does sound like a good idea; she shouldn’t be embarrassed (easier for us to say than for her to feel…)</p>