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In a nutshell: On my transcript I have an F for a zero credit course. However, LSDAS classified it as a 3 credit course.


I started my undergrad career at UMBC. My last semester there, I enrolled in a two semester internship course. It was a Pass/Fail course, and worth zero credits. I took the course because this internship I wanted to do required some sort of school affiliation. I completed the first semester of the course, but shortly thereafter I was afforded an opportunity to transfer to UMCP for a major better suited for me and I jumped at it.

Syllabus for the course: http://www.shrivercenter.org/documents/ ... llabus.pdf

Since I transferred to a different school in the middle of the course, I obviously couldn't finish the requirements, so I received a F. No big deal I thought, because it was a zero credit course and I would be moving on to bigger and better things.

That all changed when I received my transcript report for LSAC, and it classified this zero credit "F" as a whopping three credits. You can imagine what that did to my GPA.

I called LSAC a few weeks ago, complained, and had their people review my transcript. Two days ago I receive their response in the mail saying that their report was correct with the reasoning:

"When a transcript does not indicate the amount of course credit attempted for a failed course, it is assigned three credits, the amount that most courses carry."

My reaction when i read that was disbelief. On my official transcript, it clearly says the course was for zero attempted credits. But for LSDAS does zero= three or something? I would understand their rationale if I received an "F" and the credits attempted column had some weird notation, but my transcript clearly says zero. I don't think its fair whatsoever that I signed up for a course worth zero credits and LSDAS can magically turn it into a three credit course.

I plan to call them again for a final stand within the next few days. How does my situation look? Do I have a chance or am I just fighting a losing battle?

I think you have a great shot....if all my 0 credit courses I got an A in counted as 3 credits, my GPA would be just outstanding.

Try talking to your school and see if you can get some kind of official statement or policy from them sent to LSAC explaining that the 0 credit course was just a place mark for the internship etc.

If it's LSAC policy to assume it's 3 credits, then that's their policy and I don't see them accommodating you unless you bring something new to the table like the statement from your school.

umterp08 wrote:I plan to call them again for a final stand within the next few days. How does my situation look? Do I have a chance or am I just fighting a losing battle?

I don't have your transcript in front of me but, based on your description of the situation, I find your argument persuasive. I think you should call and make your case.

Hopefully someone at the school registrar can convince LSAC over the phone or through official correspondence?

I don't know, but just wanted to post and wish you good luck! These kind of bureaucratic nightmares really suck.

I think you have a persuasive case. I get the impression they wouldn't have counted that as 3 credits of A if you had passed it. LSAC are an absolute nightmare. I got my entire undergraduate degree abroad but my LSAC GPA is a 2.83 because of dual enrollment credits from high school.

Just want to wish you luck.

Thanks guys. I think this case is pretty cut and dry on the surface, but I have feeling its going to take a miracle to get LSAC to budge from their "official policy"

Ill let you guys know how it goes.