How to explain W's on transcript?

[Clecka]

Basically I have 4 W's on my transcript right now and am  facing an incomplete. I will be applying next year to a PA program and am concerned about my transcript. For the first W I will admit I dropped the class because I was taking AnP and didn't realize what I was getting myself into (but this is before I decided on applying to PA). The other 3 have to do with legitimate reasons, first my mother became ill and had to be bed ridden for more than a year and I was her only primary caregiver. I also had to deal with being a witness in a court case where I was being threatened by the opposing party and authorities at the time did not take the threats seriously. Now I'm dealing with another one of mother's surgeries and also dealing with family issues. I have documentation for everything, however the W's are in science classes. My GPA is still pretty high (3.5) and I do have volunteer hands on care. I'm just wondering if admissions boards see the downwards trend and would take it as I don't take college seriously enough. If any of you have any advice to explain this situation I would greatly appreciate it.

[woodlingj]

Honestly it probably will be somewhat unfavorable because without an explanation it appears as though you frequently start things and then do not finish them. However, I think as long as your GPA is above the school's cutoff (which 3.5 certainly should be) you won't be immediately rejected and so they will at least read your personal statement and view the rest of your application. You can't go back and remove those*** so at this point I think your only option is to avoid getting any more and to explain exactly what you've said here in your personal statement. Adcoms realize that not everyone has a perfect life and that there are lots of different circumstances so just explain it and do your best to show that you are reliable and dependent in other aspects of your application and you should be fine.

 

*** I have heard of a few community colleges removing W's from one's transcript if they were from a long time ago and if you have appropriate documentation so if the classes were taken at a community college, you may check with your school's academic counseling to see if that is an option. I've never heard of a university making these exceptions but it wouldn't hurt to ask if these classes were taken at a university.

[Statko]

4 W's and an incomplete is a lot on a transcript, especially if they are in science classes and/or are prereqs for PA school and are recent. I serve on an admissions committee, and though I am just one person, this would certainly raise a red flag for me. It wouldn't mean that I would pass on your application, though. Again, admissions decisions are made by looking at the quality of the applicant as a whole. So if you have stellar healthcare experience, great letters of recommendation, competitive GREs, and interview well, you're in great shape.

 

The reasons you give may be difficult to weave into a cohesive personal statement that adequately answers the question "why do you want to be a PA" and, simultaneously, doesn't come off as giving excuses.

 

I would suggest using one of your potential LOR writers - especially someone you've taken many classes from or an advisor - to address your personal issues and your preparedness for PA school. This way it ups the credibility and takes some of the heat off you. When you are invited for interviews you must have a humble, polished, honest response to the interviewer's questions about the incompletes/withdrawals. You'll want to practice delivering this explanation in front of the mirror to make sure you give good eye contact, seem relaxed, and are convincing.

[loliz]

If you are now, in the midst of applications, still in a position where you have to walk away from classes to help your mother or deal with family issues, you may not be ready to apply. There are rarely second chances in PA school, so until all things are on a reasonably reliable steady status, I would postpone my application. Ws that are from years ago can be overlooked because you are able to show that things have changed for the better. As is, I think it would be hard for an adcom to overlook multiple Ws and current incomplete coursework. 

[MaryFred]

I had 6 W's - I withdrew early my 2nd semester of undergraduate do to having Mono - Should I have addressed this in my statement? I have no incompletes or W's on my transcript through undergraduate, graduate school or post graduate other than the semester I was sick.

[jlumsden]

Some schools probably won't care about the Ws.  Don't stress too much about it.

[pa-wannabe]

I had 4 Ws and a WF. Granted, none of these were in science or prerequisite courses. Got into my top choice school on the first try. Bad and/or "off" semesters happen in undergrad. Don't beat yourself up. There tend to be a lot of perfectionists going into PA school who would cringe at the thought of seeing a letter on their transcripts other than an A or (gasp!) a B. No one is perfect, and if there are schools that will overlook you for a few Ws in the past, then it's their loss.

 

Don't misunderstand me; do everything in your power not to let any Ws happen again. Keep your hands on experience going, and definitely get a letter of recommendation from a professor in the sciences who can attest to your current performance, perhaps to help with the fact that your Ws were in sciences.