I just finished my freshman year as a psychology/pre-med major at Cornell University. Last fall, I was criminally harassed for months by my abusive roommate and had to be hospitalized twice; as a result, I missed a good amount of class. I was released from the hospital during finals week, so it was too late to ask for extensions or incompletes. Obviously, the situation was well out of my control.
Long story short, I got a D in a class that’s required for my major. I’ve spoken to my dean and am currently to get the grade removed from my record in light of the unfortunate situation that surrounded my performance in that course, but in the event that nothing can be done, what happens to my medical school chances? Other than taking challenging courses and doing well, studying for the MCAT, and doing research/internships, what can I do to ensure that my first semester of college doesn’t negatively impact my medical school application?
I think any course you enrolled in while in college has to be reported whether you received a grade, withdrew, incomplete, etc. Any course with a grade below a C has to be repeated. So if nothing can be done you’ll have to repeat it. Do better next time. One D will not be the end of your med school aspirations. Sorry about the issue you had. Good luck.
No, the only courses that have to be reported are the ones on your transcript. If the course is completely erased from your transcript then it can be left off (for example if you enroll in a class and then withdraw during the add/drop period you certainly don’t list that on AMCAS because it won’t be on your transcript). If they do some weird, internal Cornell only thing like it’s on your transcript but won’t count against your GPA for awards at Cornell or something like that then you’ll still have to put it on AMCAS and they will count it as a D.
My gut reaction to this was disbelief. You’re telling me Cornell will not grant an incomplete to someone who missed the deadline because they were literally in the hospital? Something doesn’t add up. Then I thought about it a little more and I realized: actually, I totally do believe this. Don’t give up easily though. Consult a lawyer who specializes in academic and/or disability law. This feels like it could be an ADA violation or certainly close enough to one that you could scare Cornell into at least granting you an incomplete if not more so you can take the exam later.
There is usually a question on either AMCAS or the secondaries that basically allows you to address some issue with your app. Definitely don’t be shy about mentioning this - particularly if the D is on your transcript.
Once you present the whole documented issue, including what the Uni failed to do to keep you safe, they should allow a reto withdrawal from the class. Will they? I hope so.
I hope you are able to get the grade changed, perhaps to a W, but I’m also curious for a different reason than the other commenters about this:
Was there no one in your family who could have contacted Cornell on your behalf while you were in the hospital? Finals week was approaching at Cornell and no one contacted the university on your behalf?
AMCAS instuctions state in part:
When entering coursework, you must include information and corresponding grades for every course in which you have “ever” enrolled at any U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post-secondary institution, regardless of whether credit was earned
This includes, but is not limited to:
Courses removed from your transcripts or GPA as a result of academic bankruptcy, forgiveness, or similar institutional policies.
I interpret above as OP has to report grade no matter what
I agree with your interpretation @Jugulator20. I’m guessing the rules have changed since I applied in 2009. Brown students in my day were definitely never told to include courses not on our transcript (which could easily be multiple per semester especially if we’re counting classes that one “enrolled” in during shopping period). This would seem like a pretty large oversight by Brown’s pre-med advising office.
Thanks for all of the advice. I’ve been talking to the higher-ups in Cornell administration and they’re finally doing something about it, so hopefully, the situation will improve soon.
@iwannabe_Brown : Without going into too many specifics, the second hospitalization occurred because I couldn’t return to my dorm room for personal safety reasons and had to be placed in emergency housing for over a month. I did take the final exam for the class because I didn’t have enough time to request an incomplete after my discharge, and I figured that plain not showing up for the final would be a bad idea.
@CheddarcheeseMN : I was in contact with people at Cornell while in the hospital, but they didn’t have much control over what happened in my courses besides telling my professors that I couldn’t come to class for a while. I missed more than one prelim and my professors still wanted me to be on schedule, so I didn’t have much turnaround time between discharge and exams.
@Jugulator20 : Thanks for the information. I assumed that there would be a rule like that; I’m just hoping that I can have the course removed from my official record for internships and research. Also, I am a girl.
Were you actually hospitalized a 2nd time (receiving medical and/or psychiatric treatment) as a result of this other student or did they simply house you in a hospital because they had no other place to house you? (That’s their policy? They house students in hospitals?) What was happening with regard to this other student? Had you filed a complaint with Cornell at any point? Did you ever request a temporary no contact order?
I think this is what @HRSMom was getting at. Was the end of the semester the first time Cornell heard anything about this issue? It sounds like no because you said
Her point is that Cornell failed you if they knew you were being criminally harassed (have you thought about filing a police report and maybe pressing charges against the other student btw?) and did nothing about it. If that’s the case (that Cornell dragged its feet in helping you) don’t let that fact be swept under the rug.
My RHD and the housing office were actively pursuing an investigation ever since before the first hospitalization. My understanding of the process was that it took some time to question the parties involved and put together a case, but after I was admitted to the hospital, they moved faster in light of the fact that it seemed pretty serious. Still, it was 2-3 weeks after the first hospitalization before my roommate was removed from the dorm. I wasn’t given the clear to move back into my room until the end of the semester. Looking back, I realize that I should have requested regular updates throughout the investigation. However, I don’t blame any individual at Cornell for the length of the process; it was an awkward situation for everyone, and they kept encountering setbacks for other reasons.
Right now, it looks like something is going to be done about the grade – a retroactive withdrawal, perhaps. If not, well, I’ll have to think of another solution.
Although no Ds or Ws, if it’s any hope, S ended first year with GPAs below 3.2. He’s currently a second year resident. Take a deep breath. It’s really not the end. Retake the course and do better. You can do it. Good luck.
