About withdrawing from a course and being a part-time student

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello, I am interested in Master’s program in counselling psychology.</p>

<p>I was wondering if I will have any disadvantage in application status if I have four W’s in different terms that have caused me to be part time student in those terms.</p>

<p>For example…</p>

<p>in my first term of the freshman year I withdrew from a physics course because I wasn’t doing well on it. For this reason, I was taking 11 credits in this term which is a part time.</p>

<p>Then in my 2nd term of the freshman year, I withdrew from a calculus course becuase I didn’t like it and by that time, I have realized that science is not for me…
Anyway, because I withdrew from a course again, I was taking 10 credits… so I became a part time student again.</p>

<p>In my freshman year I was in faculty of Science but then I switched to faculty of Arts-psychology program after taking intro psyc course in the summer term right after the freshman year.</p>

<p>From that point I have doing pretty good in my courses…</p>

<p>Then in my third year, I withdrew from this one psychology course because I didn’t really like the teaching style of the professor… and for this reason I once again became a part time student with 10.5 credits.</p>

<p>So far, I have these 3 W’s on my transcripts, and I have been part time studnet for three times.
While I was a part time student for these three terms, I didn’t do any particular work or volunteering though.
So…I might not have very good excuses for these…</p>

<p>Now I am in my 4th year taking 12 credits(full time).
But one of the course is a music elective course…
and I realized I would go over the total credits I need with this course.(120 is total, but with this course I would have 123 credits). I thought I didn’t need this abnormal psych course, but I realized some grad schools require that specific course… and I would have to take it next term or so.</p>

<p>So…I don’t really need this music course, and I was thinking of withdrawing from this course and study for my GRE and do more volunteering work instead. ( I work 6 hrs per week now)</p>

<p>I could keep the course…going over 120 credits wouldn’t matter…and it’s too late to get the refund also. However, although I got an A- for the first exam, this course is getting quite annoying and it’s not as easy as what people have told me.</p>

<p>But if I withdraw from this course, this would be my 4th W, and I would be on part time study again for the 4th time…and I was worried if this would cause me any disadvantage by the time I apply to the grad school.</p>

<p>I have called some grad schools, but they don’t really know the answer since they are not the admission committees.</p>

<p>Would I be in any disadvantaged status if I withdraw from this music course and get the 4th W & part-time? </p>

<p>If I keep this course, I would be probably end up with somewhere between B+~A-. I doubt I would get something lower than a B for this coures but it does take my time away quite a bit and I am worried if this course would cause a negative effect on my other courses.</p>

<p>My 3rd year GPA is about 3.71, my CGPA is bit lower due to my freshman science program.</p>

<p>I heard that most counselling grad program look at the last two years (I am applying next fall), so I would want do well this year.</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

2

<p>obviously we’re not admissions counselors, either, but I would keep the course. The beginning stuff makes it look like you were in the wrong major, which you fixed by switching to one you’re doing much better in. Continuing to do this makes it look (to me) like you drop anything that becomes remotely difficult, which is not the impression you want to give grad schools.</p>

3

<p>There is no law against going part time. Some of us “older” students can only afford to do that. I am soon to be transferring to another school which offered me a nice deal, in no small part, because I can only pull off being a part time student where I am at now. And, I mean that bucks wise- not grade wise. </p>

<p>I think that unless one has fallen ill or had something horrible happen like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, that 3 W’s should be the limit. Especially in your situation with swapping majors and whatnot.</p>

<p>Knowing that the lowest grade you could get in the music course is a B is way not a bad deal. If it is hard for you; prepare things well and then set up an appointment with the professor and try to get in some extra learning. It is no big deal, sweetie:)</p>