Need advice: Drop class, do it pass/fail, or take a big GPA hit

Parent Cafe
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<p>Is it wise to take a foreign language PASS/FAIL instead of dropping it entirely? In this case, the student was eligible to opt out of it due to a diagnosed learning disability, but chose to attempt the class anyway. The class would normally be a requirement, so if it is dropped colleges will know that an accommodation was made.</p>

<p>It is now November, and the school will still, I think, allow a change to PASS/FAIL, and perhaps even the chance to drop the class. Is it better to </p>

<ol>
<li><p>keep the class and get a negative GPA hit (B,C,D…whatever)</p></li>
<li><p>drop the class entirely and hope colleges accept that a school requirement was unfulfilled for a good, documented reason</p></li>
</ol>

<p>OR </p>

<ol>
<li>take the class PASS/FAIL?</li>
</ol>

<p>What is worse, a lower GPA, opting out entirely, or a rogue PASS/FAIL grade on the transcript (when the rest of the school doesn’t normally have them)?</p>

<p>Would love parental input on this. I posed the question in the LD forum but there wasn’t too much activity there.</p>

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<p>I can’t advise you, but I can tell you that B’s which dropped to a B- by junior year in Latin didn’t seem to do too much damage to my son. (Got into Tufts and U of Chicago.) I did suggest to his GC that his poor grades in Latin were probably not helped by his very mild LDs which were documented in middle school, but he chose to drop his 504 plan in high school (extra time and access to a keyboard had been the main accomodations). I have no idea whether she included that info in her recommendation. I do think language is the course you are most likely to get a little bit of a break on. If he likes it, I think Pass/Fail might be a good option, unless even passing will take a lot of time.</p>