"failing grade" for LSAC GPA Forum

[senorhosh]

"Failing Grades
Any grade notation that signifies failure (such as No Credit, No Credit/Fail, Not Passing, Incomplete/Fail, Withdraw/Fail, Unsatisfactory, Fail, etc.) is converted to zero on the 4.0 scale and is included in the calculation of the GPA, even if the issuing school considers the grade to be nonpunitive. Failure is defined as credit attempted but not earned. If a transcript is not clear about credit attempted, LSAC staff will contact the registrar at the issuing school to confirm whether course credit was attempted. Incomplete and Withdraw grades considered punitive by the issuing school will be included in the conversion. The only exception to this policy is for No Credit, Withdraw/Fail, repeated courses, and incomplete grades specifically explained in Grades Excluded From Conversion."
http://www.lsac.org/Policies/transcript ... zation.asp

Curious about the line "The only exception to this policy is for No Credit, Withdraw/Fail, repeated courses, and incomplete grades specifically explained in Grades Excluded From Conversion."

If I took a class, received an F, took it over and got an A how would it be calculated?
Would both the F and A count or only the A?

[Bildungsroman]

It depends. If your school lists grades and credits attempted from both times taking it on your transcript, then LSAC will factor them both in.

[Master_Splinter]

I have situation where an F was given for a class I never took or registered for. I'm in the process of having it removed, but if the school gives me a W, then it's still the same situation as the F correct??

[cinephile]

I have situation where an F was given for a class I never took or registered for. I'm in the process of having it removed, but if the school gives me a W, then it's still the same situation as the F correct??

Not if it's a non-punitive W. Withdraw failing=F. Regular withdraw =/= F

[barberiolisa]

If a W grade is not punitive at your school, meaning it doesnt effect your school gpa, and on the transcript it says W grades arent factored it, however, on the transcript it still lists attempted hours on the transcript total for the course/courses you got a W grade in, will LSAC consider that failure? LSAC has been no help to me at all when I call. Can anyone advise me on this?

[dietcoke0]

W = Nothing Calculated.
WF = 0.0 x Credit Hours
F then a retake (and for argument sake, an A) = 0.0 x Credit Hours + 4.0 x Credit Hours

Trust me, I got screwed big time because of all this.

[superpippo]

One piece of advice...

If you fail a course without a letter grade (e.g. No Pass, No Complete, etc.) it will count for LSAC GPA purposes as 0.00. However, if you retake the course for a letter grade, the original non-letter grade fail will no longer count towards your LSAC GPA. This is due to an interesting loop-hole, which states that if a student retakes a course in which he/she did not originally receive a letter grade, LSAC takes the latter grade only.

So for anyone with an NP or NC, or Punitive W, I urge you all to retake for a letter grade if your school allows it.

[dietcoke0]

Never heard of that loophole, and that is stellar advice if true.

[superpippo]

Never heard of that loophole, and that is stellar advice if true.

It is true. I came into my application process thinking my GPA would be .14 lower than it was on my transcript due to a no pass I received while being an idiot my freshman year. When LSAC calculated my GPA I thought there must have been some mistake because my NP grade didn't get factored in and it basically mirrored by UG GPA.

Worried that I may actually have to report this "mistake" to LSAC I used my lawyerly skills to hunt for a legitimate explanation for it. Then i found this from the LSAC, "Grades excluded from conversion -- The original grade for a repeated course when the transcript does not show both the grade and the units for the original attempt. The total number of credits assigned to these grades will appear on the applicant's academic summary, but will not be included in the GPA calculation."

I ended up retaking the course, at the time, for pride. Yet, it turns out the A I recieved for my repeat would be the only grade showing up on my transcript because I did not receive a grade for my original course (hence, they could not average the 2 grades per their normal policy). This is a very valuable loophole if your university lets you retake non-grade fails

[barberiolisa]

I have a question in regards to the loop hole where if you receive a non-letter grade that is deemed as failure and retake it for a grade that it wont count. My question is - I received a negative failure grade because I was hospitalized and unable to withdrawal, so they gave me a grade on the transcript: SF (stopped attending, F). But I retook the course and got an A. Does that mean they wont count the SF, or will it still be counted?

[superpippo]

I have a question in regards to the loop hole where if you receive a non-letter grade that is deemed as failure and retake it for a grade that it wont count. My question is - I received a negative failure grade because I was hospitalized and unable to withdrawal, so they gave me a grade on the transcript: SF (stopped attending, F). But I retook the course and got an A. Does that mean they wont count the SF, or will it still be counted?

1) Due to this loophole, it definitely won't be counted against your GPA (all that will be factored in is the A) - this is all that matters for admissions purposes
2) If the SF is considered punitive, which it sounds like it is, then it will show up on your summarized transcript. It will just be in a section where it says: number of withdraw, fail, etc. units.

So to summarize, it will show up on your transcript as uncredited units attempted, but it will not be counted toward you GPA, and the latter is all that matters for admissions.

[20130312]

lolwut

I took a course, failed, had to retake it, and LSAC counted both the fail and retake grades into my LSDAS GPA. Buyer beware.

[superpippo]

lolwut

I took a course, failed, had to retake it, and LSAC counted both the fail and retake grades into my LSDAS GPA. Buyer beware.

Did you fail when taking for a grade? Because, if not, its a mistake. (If you retook for a grade, but did not receive a grade for your first attempt)

From LSAC::: "Grades excluded from conversion -- The original grade for a repeated course when the transcript does not show both the grade and the units for the original attempt. The total number of credits assigned to these grades will appear on the applicant's academic summary, but will not be included in the GPA calculation."