3.72 or 3.76 with one W?

dcarvalho
Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:07:53 +0000

I am currently in a top-20ish university and planning to apply transfer to Cornell, Northwestern, and Michigan (Ross).

I am taking Calc 2 this semester and not doing well on it. I hope for B+ and expect a B realistically. This itself will lower my overall GPA by 0.2 (3.74 to 3.72) and with the course load I have this semester, the load for preparing for the Calc final exam could have affect on the preparation for my other exams.
If I drop this course (obviously with a W on transcript), I will be much more flexible in preparing for other exams, and I could expect my GPA to rise from 3.74 to almost 3.8.

The gist of my question is, would a Cornell, Northwestern or Ross admissions officer frown more in seeing one W (it would be my first and last W before I apply) or a B that could quite lower my overall GPA, considering the fact that the course is a requisite towards my major (Quantitative Economics)?