"W"s (Withdrawals) on Transcripts

U.S.A. California

Published

Hello there!

I have a couple of pre-requisites (one Science pre-requisite and one non-Science, Nutrition, pre-requisite) where I had to withdraw from the class. I retook the classes and got As on both of them.

Do I have a shot at getting in nursing school? Or because of these "Ws" on my transcript, will I not even be considered? I'm really sad now because I my "W" came from focusing on a high-paying job (e.g., I got paid as much as RNs get paid) that required 100% of my focus the day of my first exam...but I quit the job because I decided that nursing was what I wanted to do and I didn't want it to get in the way of my studies. ='(

Thanks for any guidance you can offer.

It would depend upon the policy of the school(s) you apply to. Some are more harsh than others. Obviously, the best advice is to avoid Ws at all costs. I have noted that it does not matter if your reason was sound versus trivial to get a W, it is treated the same. But since you have the marks on your transcripts, there is probably nothing you can do about it now, except to avoid future withdrawals that show on your transcripts.

Specializes in Emergency Department.

...or apply for academic renewal from your school. It's basically academic "forgiveness". I had a bunch of Ds and Fs forgiven from my first attempt at school 20 years ago. They are still there on my transcript and can be seen by whomever evaluates it, but cannot be calculated into my GPA or used against me.

Obviously, the best advice is to avoid Ws at all costs.

I disagree with you. It's much better to get W and then A, rather than finishing the course with the bad grade. Even on medical school forums people were reporting that W does affect your chances as long as you re-took the class and got a good grade.

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