Failing & Then Re-Taking a Class Croskey notes that dropping a class is better than withdrawing, but withdrawing is better than failing. “A failing grade will lower the student's GPA, which may prevent a student from participating in a particular major that has a GPA requirement,” Croskey says.
When a student drops a class, it disappears from their schedule. After the “drop/add” period, a student may still have the option to Withdraw. Withdrawal usually means the course remains on the transcript with a “W” as a grade. It does not affect the student's GPA (grade point average).
Retaking a course may raise your student's GPA (grade point average). In many schools, if a student retakes a course, the most recent grade will replace the lower grade in the student's GPA. The earlier, lower grade will remain on the transcript, but will not be included in the GPA.
Since you are still a sophomore, a Withdrawal of any sort will usually have less impact on college verdicts than it might in your junior or senior years. Admission folks especially don't like to see W's after a student has been admitted.
Most colleges will give you specific deadlines to both add and drop classes. When you drop a class before the drop deadline, it's as if it never happened. This means that it won't show up on your transcripts and whatever grade you earned up until that point will disappear from your academic history.
Important Definitions. Course Drop: Removal of a course from your schedule prior to the end of the first week of class. Course Withdrawal: Any removal of a course from your schedule after the end of week one using the online form provided.
When a repeated course is failed, any previously earned credit for that course is lost. Only the most recent grade earned in a repeated course counts towards the cumulative grade-point average, even if the most recent grade is lower than one previously received for that course.
It is not bad to retake a college course. Ensure that you consult your advisor before taking the next step because some institutions are quite harsh regarding retakes. Think carefully about your reasons for wanting a second attempt. You may retake a class to improve your Grade Point Average (GPA).
The second grade always replaces the first grade. However, you can retake a class and get a worse grade. For example, if you have a D (a passing grade) and retake a course and receive an F (a failing grade), you now have a failing grade in the course and will have to take the class for a third time.
There will be no mark on your transcript, so colleges won't ever see or know that you dropped the class. If you drop a class early on in the semester, try to add another class in its place so you still have a full schedule and can be sure of meeting the number of credits required for graduation.
In some cases, usually if you drop your class relatively late into the grading period, a dropped class will appear on your transcript as a 'W' for withdrawn. College admissions committees will indeed see this and know that you chose to drop the class.
If your school determines that your withdrawal from a class changes your student status, or impedes your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), they may reduce your financial aid for the current session or disqualify you from aid in the future.