Considering withdrawing from a class -- will a "W" hurt me? Forum

[Jpreece59]

OK I'm in my last semester of undergrad and have already been accepted into a couple law schools that are two of my top choices (NYU and Penn). I'm considering withdrawing from a class, but that will lead to me getting a "W" on my transcript. Will this hurt me? I have a very good GPA from my undergrad and as far as I understand, getting a "W" will make my transcript look less clean, but it won't actually affect my GPA. I don't want to finish the class with a poor grade to mess up my 4.0, but I also don't want to take a "W" if that looks too bad.

1. Will the "W" hurt me in the short or long run?
2. If I needed the class to stay in my schools "honors program" and I put that I was in the "honors program" on my resume when I applied to law school, could that affect me?
3. What would you guys do?

[A → B ⊨ ¬B → ¬A]

A W hurts less than a grade that brings your GPA down. Drop if you won't get a 4.0 equivalent or better in the class. Update your resume if that changes your honors status.

[cinephile]

No school cares about "honors programs."

Take the W. A low grade would be worse. Also, if you need to withdraw for your sanity, do it.

[vzapana]

Before you do this, make absolutely sure that your school doesn't issues W's that are equivalent to failing grades. LSAC treat W-fails as if you took the class and got an F -- not something you want.

Otherwise, Ws that don't factor into your GPA don't matter to law schools.

[Jpreece59]

Just called my undergrad, the W doesn't count toward my GPA. Will it still look bad to future schools or employers?

[A → B ⊨ ¬B → ¬A]

Just called my undergrad, the W doesn't count toward my GPA. Will it still look bad to future schools or employers?

Not nearly as bad as a low grade. Lots of people drop a class or two for legitimate reasons.

[Redbandit]

As long as your school does not consider a "W" to be the equivalent of a failing grade, it won't really hurt you. I would rather have a "W" than a "F."

[Jpreece59]

As long as your school does not consider a "W" to be the equivalent of a failing grade, it won't really hurt you. I would rather have a "W" than a "F."

can you define "won't really?"

[A → B ⊨ ¬B → ¬A]

As long as your school does not consider a "W" to be the equivalent of a failing grade, it won't really hurt you. I would rather have a "W" than a "F."

can you define "won't really?"

A withdrawal is a soft factor

[Jpreece59]

As long as your school does not consider a "W" to be the equivalent of a failing grade, it won't really hurt you. I would rather have a "W" than a "F."

can you define "won't really?"

A withdrawal is a soft factor

I'm hoping it's a relatively small soft factor.

[A → B ⊨ ¬B → ¬A]

As long as your school does not consider a "W" to be the equivalent of a failing grade, it won't really hurt you. I would rather have a "W" than a "F."

can you define "won't really?"

A withdrawal is a soft factor

I'm hoping it's a relatively small soft factor.

If you have a 4.0 with a W, I seriously doubt they'll even notice

[Yukos]

No one will care. IMO, one of the most important parts of UG is knowing when to drop a class.