Senior Year Withdraw from College Class

[goldberry]

DD is withdrawing from her Pre-Calc class.  This has been a long, ugly road to this decision. 

 

All of her college courses are through Comm College A.  This one course is through Comm College B.  It will, however, also show up on her early college school transcript (the school who is facilitating dual enrollment this year).

 

I am planning on not showing it on her high school transcript. Is that okay?  I will be requesting transcripts from Comm College A.  I am assuming I have no need to request a transcript for College B, since the only thing it would show is this one course that is a Withdraw?

 

All her other math is stellar.  She has College Algebra from College A with an A grade already on her transcript.  She will be retaking Pre-Calc next semester at College A.

 

We are concerned about this process because DD is declaring a math major and hopes for merit aid.

Should we even mention this anywhere?  Do I need a transcript from College B?  What would be the point?  Any further advice?

 

ETA, by mention, I mean an explanation of this situation.

Edited October 19, 2016 by goldberry

[8filltheheart]

I think you are going to have to include the transcript. Schools specify transcripts for every school attended. Since pre-cal is not going to be for credit for a math major, Indont think it is that big of a deal. I would address it, however. You could simply say something to the effect of taking a class at college B ended up conflicting with her other high school courses and an alternative option, xxx, was chosen.

[8filltheheart]

Oops, I just saw she is taking it at college A next semester. I would personally make a different choice. There is no need to take it at a college and she can take it now through someplace like DO.

[Elizabeth 2]

Not requesting college transcripts for all colleges attended has been a reason for suspension or dismissal. Happened to a friend of mine. He had to go through a complete nation wide review of the student college attendance program.  Although he hadn't taken any transferable classes (they were remedial and technical classes) it caused significant issues. 

 

Don't put it on her high school transcript.  But make sure to request it as part of her college transcripts.  There are some kids that take a class or two outside of regular dual enrollment even at the public high schools, but it's not on their high school transcript.  If the school wants a reason, explain it. If not, leave it. 

[RootAnn]

Goldberry, I've been following the Ugly, Mean Professor situation & I think she's making the right choice to drop the class. No info on your questions. Just  :grouphug:

[goldberry]

Goldberry, I've been following the Ugly, Mean Professor situation & I think she's making the right choice to drop the class. No info on your questions. Just  :grouphug:

 

Thank you, this was rough.

[goldberry]

Oops, I just saw she is taking it at college A next semester. I would personally make a different choice. There is no need to take it at a college and she can take it now through someplace like DO.

 

I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean here?

[goldberry]

Not requesting college transcripts for all colleges attended has been a reason for suspension or dismissal. Happened to a friend of mine. He had to go through a complete nation wide review of the student college attendance program.  Although he hadn't taken any transferable classes (they were remedial and technical classes) it caused significant issues. 

 

Don't put it on her high school transcript.  But make sure to request it as part of her college transcripts.  There are some kids that take a class or two outside of regular dual enrollment even at the public high schools, but it's not on their high school transcript.  If the school wants a reason, explain it. If not, leave it. 

 

So they will get one college transcript that has nothing on it but a withdrawn class?  That just seems really weird.  

 

How does it even come up that there might have been another college out there?  Just curious.  Do colleges routinely search for that?

[Lori D.]

So they will get one college transcript that has nothing on it but a withdrawn class?  That just seems really weird.  

 

Yes. Absolutely critical to get an official transcript from that college with just the W class on it. Colleges are very strict about this, as too many people try and get away with trying to "hide" bad GPA from either dual enrollment or early college career at a different school. Absolutely not worth the risk to admission, or potential loss of scholarship funds -- or if discovered later possible expulsion or even stripping of a degree earned. All of those consequences have actually happened.

[8filltheheart]

Goldberry, there is a national clearinghouse that schools can contact that will send the information for every school a student has attended. So, yes, they could easily find out she attended that school and received a W without her ever mentioning the school. All schools have to be reported.

 

What I meant by my post is that since she is taking the W now, she can easily start with DO right away. Then a simple explanation such as conflicted with her other studies would be acceptable. My point is that taking it DE really isn't necessary. She won't receive any credit for the course. Credit won't start until calculus. It is a "junk" credit for a math major. If she can complete precal 1 between now and spring semester, she could always DE in pre-cal 2 or what the sequential course sequence would be.

[Elizabeth 2]

So they will get one college transcript that has nothing on it but a withdrawn class?  That just seems really weird.  

 

How does it even come up that there might have been another college out there?  Just curious.  Do colleges routinely search for that?

 

Yes. Yes, and yes.  It is done through the national attendance clearinghouse.  They check it because of federal financial aid qualifications.  Even if you don't take the financial aid, if you attended and took a certain number of credits, it can change the timeline one qualifies for student aid.  While your DD isn't using the FFA system for this, it is just in place to prevent the fraud that is rampant at inexpensive community colleges.  

 

Also, it is usually part of the student code of conduct, which is often zero-tolerance.  The first time they catch it can mean auto-withdraw or failure of the classes she is currently enrolled in.  This was what happened to my friend.  He managed to correct it quickly through intercollegiate connections, but the stress just wasn't worth what would have originally been a $10 transcript purchase. 

[teachermom2834]

Send the transcript. It probably will not make any negative impact but not sending it could cause trouble. The W exists because conflicts /illnesses/ etc. do happen. Even if they seem an anomaly for us I think a college is used to seeing them.

[RootAnn]

What I meant by my post is that since she is taking the W now, she can easily start with DO right away.

This refers to at-your-own-pace class with videos and grading offered by DerekOwens.com. (Just in case you don't recognize "DO".)

[goldberry]

This refers to at-your-own-pace class with videos and grading offered by DerekOwens.com. (Just in case you don't recognize "DO".)

 

Thank you!  I was wondering!

 

So, Pre-Calc won't count toward anything?  Really?  That seems odd.

 

Oh, and one more question then:  Sending the transcript from the college but not having it on her high school transcript is okay? 

Edited October 19, 2016 by goldberry

[goldberry]

Now I'm getting nervous.  In 9th grade I think, DD took an online Interior Decorating course through BYU's high school section.  It had an option of taking a proctored test for "official" credit, but we chose not to do that.  I didn't even include it on her transcript actually.

 

Is that going to show up somewhere??

[Elizabeth 2]

Now I'm getting nervous.  In 9th grade I think, DD took an online Interior Decorating course through BYU's high school section.  It had an option of taking a proctored test for "official" credit, but we chose not to do that.  I didn't even include it on her transcript actually.

 

Is that going to show up somewhere??

Call and ask if they report to the National Student Clearinghouse

[8filltheheart]

Look at the 4 yr plans of the schools she is applying to. Any courses below the degree level do not grant credit. I have never seen a math major starting with anything other than calculus.

 

I googled Alabama 4 yr math plan thinking it might pull up my ds's math track, but it didn't. It pulled up UA-B's instead. If you look at it, cal is the first yr credit. Pre-cal would not count as a credit.

http://catalog.uab.edu/undergraduate/collegeofartsciences/mathematics/#fouryearplanstext

 

If the BYU course was a non-credit high school course, not a university course, I do not think it is an issue. Dd took high school French from BYU one summer and it did not generate a transcript unless requested which we didn't.

Edited October 19, 2016 by 8FillTheHeart

[kiana]

You need to send the transcript as stated above. There have been cases where students had their degree rescinded and were back-charged for "fraudulently obtained" financial aid.

 

Precalculus will frequently grant credits towards graduation but not count towards the math major itself. All it will do is reduce the general electives by however many credits. Universities want math majors to start in calculus to get them done in 4 years, so anywhere she goes she will be able to take a placement test or use SAT/ACT scores and place into calculus. DO is a solid precalculus class and I would just start that now so as not to waste time. 

[G5052]

I agree. Never hide a college attended, even if there was a complete withdrawal.

 

I'm aware of someone who was being considered for a job as a professor and got caught that way. In higher education they generally want transcripts from every school you attended. The case I'm aware of involved someone who went to college at 17 and came home a month later because of health problems. They withdrew from all of their classes and actually got a partial refund. They worked locally and lived at home, and a year later went to a different college at 18. They went on to earn graduate degrees. But the clearinghouse showed previous college enrollment that hadn't been reported, and they weren't hired. Yes, it's unfair in a way, but their policy was that you had to disclose every school and provide transcripts, or you were out.

 

And no problem having withdrawn classes as long as it isn't a habit. I had 3 W's on my undergraduate transcript and 2 W's on my graduate school transcript. Not once have I ever been asked about that, and nearly every job I've ever held has required transcripts, including the colleges I've worked for over the last 18 years who wanted every school and transcript accounted for. In some cases I even had to provide everything all over again in order to qualify for teaching in a slightly different area. When I was on university and government hiring committees, many candidates had a few "W" grades, and it was never an issue at all.

Edited October 20, 2016 by G5052

[goldberry]

Just an update, DD withdrew from the class and angels sang in the background. :)  She is continuing the pre-calc work with a tutor, and her SAT math grade qualified her to register for Calculus next semester.  I did not include the course on her high school transcript, but I will send the college transcript to all the schools we are applying to.  They can ask if they want to.

 

Thanks for the advice here and the advice on my evil professor thread.  The W is a small price to pay.  DD's head of school said she had several Ws on her own transcript.