Do W on a transcript look bad for grad school?
Asked by: Devyn Haag III | Last update: December 25, 2025Score: 4.3/5 (54 votes)
Much like undergraduate admissions, most schools note the amount of W's on your transcript, including graduate schools (i.e., Medical School, Law School, etc). Whether or not the “W” will dictate an acceptance or rejection to the professional school is entirely unknown.
Do W's look bad for grad school?
A2A. No, it does not affect graduate admittance. Your transcript will have the cumulative GPA that is used by the graduate school that does not factor in W grades.
Will one W on my transcript hurt me?
W's do not count against your overall GPA and thus, do no harm grade-wise. However, W's can run you at risk of losing financial aid. Schools have what's known as satisfactory academic progress which means that you'll need to be completing your courses for credit.
Can W be removed from a transcript?
Is it a W or WU? You cannot remove a W because it's already administrative grading and does not count towards your GPA. If it's a WU, and it's your first time getting a WU, you can schedule a meeting with an academic advisor and they can fill out a form with you to discount your first term a WU was earned.
What does W mean on a transcript?
A grade of W stands for WITHDRAWAL. This means that you withdrew (or dropped) the class before a predetermined time in the semester. While a W will show up on your transcript, it does not compute in your GPA. The grade of WP means WITHDRAWAL PASSING.
Grad School Decisions Reaction | Applying for grad school with low GPA
How many W's look bad on a transcript?
One or two W's enables an admissions officer to do this but having multiple W's really ties the admissions officers' hands. Try to avoid more than two W's and make sure your grades are adequate enough to support a high GPA even with the credit losses incurred by the W.
Do withdrawals look bad for grad school?
The impact on future admission to graduate school depends on why you withdrew. But it's not too unusual for students to withdraw due to illness or family emergencies, so it won't look too bad unless your grades are low.
Is it better to withdraw or fail?
According to Croskey, it is usually better to withdraw from a class. Exceptions may result for students with many withdrawals already if they can create a productive plan to retake the course after failing.
Does a W on transcript affect GPA?
A withdrawal from a class (W) is GPA-neutral: instead of a grade, you receive a W notation on your transcript which does not affect your GPA; you also don't earn credits for the course.
Does a withdrawal look bad?
Don't worry too much about having a single withdrawal on your transcript. While it might raise a small question in the minds of admissions officers, a single withdrawal is not a major red flag when applying to college.
How to avoid W on transcript?
A notation of “W” typically means that a student withdrew, but this can be avoided by withdrawing from the class early during a college's drop-add period, when typically no notation that a student has withdrawn from is made.
Do W's affect financial aid?
If you withdraw from all of your courses before completing at least 60 percent of a semester, you may become ineligible for a substantial portion of the aid you were awarded for that term.
How many W are acceptable on a transcript on Reddit?
One W is fine. Employers won't ever see it and grad schools don't care too much either. Just don't get more than one or else you're going to raise some eyebrows.
Can I get into grad school with a bad transcript?
Most graduate programs expect applicants to have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA to be considered for admissions. However, at the most competitive schools, a 3.5+ cumulative GPA would be the average. A low GPA does not mean that graduate school is not an option for you.
Does W look bad for med school?
Myth 1: Having a “W” will disqualify you from medical school. FALSE: Having a “W” does not automatically disqualify you from medical school.
Does retaking a class replace AW?
However, if the course is simply too hard or you don't want to put in effort, then you should reconsider. Try getting a tutor or asking for help if the class is required for your major. This is because even if you drop it and get the W, you will have to take it again to graduate. The W grade will stay on your record.
Can you remove a withdrawal from a transcript?
In this case, the class remains on your record and a notation of “W” (for Withdraw) is recorded on your transcript for that course in place of a grade. Note that a W is not considered a completed course grade. Therefore, a 'W' cannot be overwritten on your transcript by repeating the course.
Is it better to withdraw or get AC?
Students frequently ask about dropping a course to avoid getting a “C.” While this is generally not advisable, a withdrawal might be a good decision if it would be your first C and your struggles in the class would endanger your other grades.
Should I drop a class if I'm overwhelmed?
It's important to recognize the signs of being overscheduled. If coursework, commitments, and responsibilities start to overwhelm you, consider dropping a class. Symptoms of overscheduling include heightened stress levels, declining academic performance, and compromised well-being.
Do excused withdrawals look bad?
Instead, they received an Excused Withdrawal or “EW” notation, which shields students from possible negative repercussions of a W notation on their transcript. The EW is not factored into academic progress calculations, and it is treated as if the student never enrolled in the course.
Is academic withdrawal a fail?
Withdrawing from a course means officially dropping it from your schedule, usually before a specific deadline. When you withdraw, the course will either not appear on your transcript, or the course will be listed but no grade given, but a W in its place.
How to explain a withdrawal on transcript?
Sadly, in academia, there's also the word “Withdraw.” Withdrawing means you drop a class after the allowed add/drop period ends. You won't receive a grade for the class, but a “W” will show up on your transcript, indicating that you were not doing well in the course and essentially quit the class.
Can you go to grad school with an AW?
I had a similar situation in my junior year and after meeting an academic advisor I was told a W is better than a D or an F. A W doesn't affect your grad school chances unless, its a repeated pattern (3 or more) or if your W's are all in the same subject area.
Does AW look bad for grad school on Reddit?
One W won't matter. Even two won't matter. A few W's isolated to one semester also won't matter. It only becomes a problem when you have repeated W's across multiple semesters.
Does a withdrawal or fail look worse?
If withdrawing is an option, take it. This will not affect your overall grade, although some schools will only allow a certain number of “hours attempted” and withdrawals will count toward those. However, failing a grade will negatively impact your overall GPA and will remain on your transcript.