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How do you indicate a withdrawal?


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I withdrew from a course WITHOUT academic penalty. It simply shows up on my transcript with a 'W' next to it. On OMSAS I can only choose a letter grade, fail, pass or incomplete. Incomplete ends up being entered as a failed course when really it shouldn't.

 

When I called they said they'd rectify if once they examine your transcript, but I don't want to risk having a .4 lower GPA one year if they don't end up changing it.

 

Suggestions?

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...
Oh how did you manage to do that? Sorry for appearing to be meddlesome. lol

 

There almost always is an appeal process where you can ask to "bend the rules" as it were. I have been the student rep on such committees in the past. Check your student regulation - it is amazing how often people don't actually read those (not a criticism, just I find it odd. There is some good stuff to know in there).

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There almost always is an appeal process where you can ask to "bend the rules" as it were. I have been the student rep on such committees in the past. Check your student regulation - it is amazing how often people don't actually read those (not a criticism, just I find it odd. There is some good stuff to know in there).

 

Ah I see. Thanks, rmorelan

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I do know however, that a withdrawl from Athabasca U, so that is the WF is treated as a fail. Gpa = 0.

I had a course do that to me. Talk about gpa downer!

 

Uh, NO, I've withdrawn from 4 AU courses over the last 2.5 years and NEVER got a WF - only W.

 

Maybe you waited too long to withdraw. If you withdraw before you're 3/4 through with the class, then you won't get a WF. If you wait till the last month of your 4- or 6-month period to start doing work, then don't do well, and decide you want to withdraw - that'll get you a WF for sure.

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Uh, NO, I've withdrawn from 4 AU courses over the last 2.5 years and NEVER got a WF - only W.

 

Maybe you waited too long to withdraw. If you withdraw before you're 3/4 through with the class, then you won't get a WF. If you wait till the last month of your 4- or 6-month period to start doing work, then don't do well, and decide you want to withdraw - that'll get you a WF for sure.

 

 

Athabasca U does not give you academic penalty for a withdrawal.

Jochi is correct, in that if you withdraw before 3/4 of the term you get a W.

If you withdraw after 3/4 and before the last day of your course (usually after 90 days) you receive a WF. However, this WF comes with no academic penalty at Atha U. This is what happened to me (WF).

 

OMSAS was the only system to consider the WF as a fail, gpa=0. Sask, U of C, U of A, Mcgill and the US application system (AMCAS) all consider it a legitimate withdrawal (no academic penalty).

 

I don’t agree with the OMSAS grading assessment. But what can you do about it? The office does not seem to budge on this topic.

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Athabasca U does not give you academic penalty for a withdrawal.

Jochi is correct, in that if you withdraw before 3/4 of the term you get a W.

If you withdraw after 3/4 and before the last day of your course (usually after 90 days) you receive a WF. However, this WF comes with no academic penalty at Atha U. This is what happened to me (WF).

 

OMSAS was the only system to consider the WF as a fail, gpa=0. Sask, U of C, U of A, Mcgill and the US application system (AMCAS) all consider it a legitimate withdrawal (no academic penalty).

 

I don’t agree with the OMSAS grading assessment. But what can you do about it? The office does not seem to budge on this topic.

 

Pehaps if you begged to Athabasca they would change it. It doesn't matter to their grade assesment policies as it doesn't count either way. They don't seem to intend it to be a failure, and you don't have much to lose.

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  • 4 months later...

Hello.

 

From what I have read, OMSAS requires that incompletes and withdrawals that appear on your transcripts are entered as a failed grade (0 GPA).

 

My overall GPA (according to my university) is a 3.88. I have to incompletes (8 credits) and 1 WF (4 credits). My university DOES NOT consider these in my weighted gpa. Without their inclusion, I am a very competitive candidate (and I have excelled in all of the other relevant areas). If I enter these 12 credits as F'S (0 GPA) I have a 3.45. Consequently, I am no longer a competitive candidate and will probably not even make it past the minimum cut off.

 

Has anyone else dealt with this? If so, what was your approach? Did you identify your incompletes or WFs as failed grades? Is there any way to appeal this or to get around it?

 

I am specifically interested in McMaster and Ottawa. Does anyone know how these schools will treat incompletes and WFs? Will they use OMSAS's calculation or will they perform their own calculation (will they consider my GPA as 3.88 or 3.45?)

 

Thanks for clarifying...!

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I had one course withdrawal in my second year (it was a full year course, so it showed up as two course withdrawals, or 2 W's on my transcript). I wanted to indicate that I had taken the course (because I needed my second year to count as a full-time year - my first year was terrible and last year I was part time) but I obviously didn't want it to count as a 0, thereby affecting my GPA. Not knowing what to do, I ended up entering it as a pass, however I sent an additional letter to OMSAS explaining that I had dropped the course for medical reasons late in the year (I offered to provide a doctors note, though they never took me up on it), and asking them to consider it as a full time year. Because I'm scattered, I never actually checked back with them to see if this was ok - but I got into Western where they require two full time years, so it must have worked.

 

Anyways, I don't know if this is too anecdotal to be helpful, but all I'm really trying to say is that there is some leniency in the system. Also, if you fill out the forms as best you can, and explain any confusions, they seem accepting of that too. I hope this helps some.:)

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Some schools have a spot for any additional information, or things you want them to consider. Western didn't however, so I just mailed (or maybe faxed, I can't remember) and additional letter to OMSAS and asked them to pass it on to the schools with my application.

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