<p>I am a sophomore with a 3.97 cumulative GPA and 4.0 in engineering. However, in the first semester of my freshman year, I took an anthropology class about Ancient Maya and could not manage it. So I withdrew from the class. Since I want to go to a Master/PhD program in engineering, will this withdrawal on my transcript hurt my chance of admission? Thank you!</p>
<p>I can’t imagine it will have any bearing at all.</p>
<p>It was many years ago, but I dropped lots of classes and got into grad school.</p>
<p>For many colleges, grad schools are treated as cash cows, and they’re easier to get into than undergrad.</p>
<p>Also I’ve seen some grad programs specify that they only care about your last 60 or so credits (aka junior+senior years).</p>
<p>They won’t care, especially if it was early on in your studies and/or if you have a good reason for it that can be clearly explained without
It sounding like some cooked-up excuse.</p>
<p>As for the comment about getting into graduate school, I couldn’t disagree more. The only programs that are typically treated as cash cow programs are the unfunded (or employer-funded) non-thesis master’s programs. Otherwise admissions standards can be quite strict. Many to most other degrees are funded so how could that possibly be a cash cow? If anything, it’s the opposite since they have limited funding to hand out and want to make it count.</p>
<p>I had plenty of Ws on my transcript and it didn’t seem to have any effect on my grad school application.</p>
<p>I think it’s fairly common for students to get Ws. After all, you can’t plan for everything, no matter how studious you are.</p>
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<p>There are lots of master’s programs like that, especially for engineering. I went to one at USC. Here in the Bay Area, Stanford goes out and advertises its graduate engineering programs like crazy. Santa Clara University, UC Santa Cruz and San Jose State do the same. (For some reason, UC Berkeley doesn’t.)</p>
<p>As abhorrent as it may sound to educational purists, universities do need revenues to operate. Graduate programs for working professionals who have the means to pay can be a lucrative way for universities to make money.</p>
<p>Yes, these are precisely the professional Masters degrees. Ph.D. students are generally supported throughout their studies. The research oriented Masters are in-between and there can be some support.</p>