Will withdrawing from a course hurt my application?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I am taking 17 credits but feeling overwhelmed especially now that I have to commute. I am deadly worried that withdrawing will make admissions think that I received a bad grade in the class. This is an online course (Lifespan Development).

Will a W look bad on my transcript or harm my chances of getting into nursing school?

Thank you for your input!

Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

Not 100% sure, but I don't think it's a problem. If you do grade forgive, the w can be switched to the new grade. Plus, I think students are allowed to withdraw from a limited number of classes (i think it's two) without penalty. Most important thing is the GPA

I think it may hurt you in terms of financial aid in the future but as long as its not recurring.

Speak with the school you are applying to. My school allows only two re-takes total on pre-req classes (not 2 re-takes per class, 2 re-takes period). More than 2 re-takes makes you ineligible to apply for their program. When you re-take the course, they take the highest grade and dismiss the W, however they do take into account the amount of W's on the transcript. If this is your only W, I'm sure it'll be fine. You can speak with the school just to be certain.

Depends on the school. How competitive is the program? How do they determine admission into the program.. Overall GPA, Nursing GPA, a point-system, lottery, etc? Some schools may look at W'a and somehow or another factor them in. Other schools may not be concerned with a W if you grade-replaced it.

What are the school's policies on grade-replacing/retakes? Some schools allow unlimited while others place a cap. My school has a cap placed on grade-replacing/retakes. We are allowed 3 grade replacements/retakes for the entire degree. Once in the nursing program, you are allowed 1 grade replacement/retake of an actual nursing course, but this counts as one of your three. So if you dropped 3 prereqs for W's and then re-took them for grade replacement, if you failed a nursing course and needed to retake it, you would be out of luck bc you already used your 3. If the school has a cap, use your grade replacements wisely. Contact the school to see if they have something like this is place before you make your decision. You may decide that the class is doable if you have a limit... You may want to save that retake for farther down the road.. Or you may not. Best of luck!

No. Not at all! (but, you will lose some points if it is in the sciences or any other classes that is needed for the nursing program you are applying to. Check the main nursing program website for deduction points on W, F, N/C grades/repeats... I am having to repeat with a class with a "W" grade in one science class and I will get a (-.5) loss in points... I have to make up those loss points in other areas. My college you can have a max of 2 repeats, but that would be tough to get in... with that many. Yet, I have heard students on this site get into nursing programs with more! So, stay positive, keep working hard, and don't take on too much!

Thanks! It's in a nursing class.. Lifespan Development. :(

It matters but how much it matters varies tremendously from school to school and somewhat (or sometimes) from year to year at a particular school and/or for a particular person. Some schools place more weight on that than others. Some are more systematic about it that others (violet girl's school's policy vs a school that looks at only if they need a tie breaker between two candidates).

Usually, a pattern of W's is much, much worse that a single one.

They don't automatically assume you are dropping it because you are failing it. That is "they" in general, a particular person on an admissions committee might but it is quite common for students to have other reasons.

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