<p>Listen, the more positive experience you can garner over time, the less important the more ‘distant’ past becomes. When you do decide what you want to do, make sure you get the experience and those to recommend you and really try to bring in good test scores (GMAT, GRE, or whatever). Graduate schools are more interested in what you will do while there, based on what you have done as a whole. Those W’s from one year in your past are only one small piece of an entire package. You have control over the essays and can use the adversity to show resilience and overcoming obstacles. Don’t focus on the W’s, focus on why it won’t ever happen again.</p>