DawnM Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 (edited) My son is applying to go to a 4 year school in January. We just got an email saying they are going over his application and would like an explanation on why he withdrew from two classes and how it will be different in their school for him. I will state first that you have to withdraw within the first 10% of the class to avoid a withdrawal. All of his classes are once per week, so you can't even attend the 2nd class without getting a W on your transcript. That said, the first one was due to the class being an online class and he realized he would rather take it the next semester in person, so he waited and took it the next semester. This past W was due to him winning out against 17 others for an internship that would require a min. of 20 hours per week of work, and it came AFTER the 10%, and he knew he could not carry a full load AND do the internship/job. Before anyone tells me, "Well, MY kid worked full time, went to school full time, and won a nobel prize" I will remind you this is my son who we didn't even think would finish high school. He has Autism and has struggled greatly, but he is doing very well overall right now. He can't juggle it all. He can do one thing at a time. So, he is taking 3 classes and working. Anyway, we plan to explain all of that, but I am not sure how to word how he plans to do things differently for them. He can't promise he won't drop a class, but I guess he needs to say something about planning better or something???? I honestly didn't think this would be a big deal. I mean, he has a 3.9 GPA and is doing great with his internship. Edited October 9, 2017 by DawnM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I would explain the withdrawal policy at the school in question (this can vary greatly from school to school)--I wouldn't go into too much detail but simply state that the policy is that any withdrawal after X date in the semester results in an automatic W. Then I would explain the class that was online; and point this his taking it the next semester (I don't know if the school designates in any way on the transcript whether a course is online). The second I would explain as he was notified that he was selected for an internship (provide the name of the organization) and that there was a scheduling conflict that would not allow him to do the class and the internship. Were these two classes dropped during the same semester? during consecutive semesters? Did they cause him to go from full-time to part-time enrollment? Were these dual enrollment classes or classes after high school graduation? Withdrawing from classes is fairly common--so I am wondering what the context is that is making them question this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 This is our local community college and he was dual enrollment for the first W, a full year ago. Then the second W was this semester, a year later. The second time did make him go from full time to part time, although that isn't a huge deal at the CC, you pay per credit anyway, regardless. How does he say he won't do this in the future, or what does he say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I don't think he should say he won't drop classes in the future (I can't imagine many college students saying that). I think I would address it as it is going to be different because I am going to be a full-time, 4-year college student, I have X number of college credits that were earned while I was in high school and as I worked the year after high school to save money for college. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 "The withdrawal policy at [CC] is such that students in classes that meet once per week cannot attend more than the first class meeting without receiving a W on their transcripts. [DS] withdrew after the second online meeting of [class X], when he realized that he would prefer to take this course in person rather than online, which he did in the following semester. This will not be an issue in the future, as he does not plan to take any additional online classes. He withdrew from [class Y] due to a scheduling conflict that arose when he was selected for a highly competitive internship. This was a unique opportunity, and once he is enrolled FT in [4 yr college], any future internships will be scheduled for the summer." 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 (edited) How does he say he won't do this in the future, or what does he say? To _______________, The following is in response to your questions about my college transcript, and specifically the two course withdrawals on my past record. The withdrawal policy for ________ Community College is to award a "W", even if withdrawing after attending just one class. In both cases, my withdrawing from class was very early in the semester, and each was for a specific reason. In fall of 2015, I withdrew from ________ course after the first class meeting, upon discovering that the course was all-online. My preferred learning style is in a classroom with a live instructor, and since all of those class sections were full, I opted to postpone this class to a subsequent semester when it would be available on campus with a live instructor. In the fall of 2016, I withdrew from ____________ within the first weeks of the semester, immediately after being selected for a highly sought-after internship opportunity that required 20 hours of work per week. In order to be able to give my best to both the internship and my coursework, I chose to reduce my course workload by one class. My cumulative GPA of 3.9 shows that I am a steady and reliable student, and as the two past withdrawals were both due to unique and unexpected situations, I do not foresee there will be a need to withdraw from future courses. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions regarding my transcript or college career. Sincerely, _______________ Edited October 5, 2017 by Lori D. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 THANK YOU! Those are great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 THANK YOU! Those are great! I vote for Corraleno's -- incredibly succinct and specific. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 I vote for Corraleno's -- incredibly succinct and specific. :) BUT he should be writing in first person - not the OP as his mother in third person! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milknhoney Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 I wouldn't stress too much. The Admissions Office is most likely probing to see if the W's were due to him failing the class. A simple explanation will settle that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 He was able to finish it up this past weekend. Thanks for the help. Now we just wait to find out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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