• CR/NCR,  current student,  late withdrawal,  major,  subject POST

    a little cr/ncr never hurts… (unless it’s a course in your program in which case it sometimes might)

    February 2, 2023

    Hey! I’m a first year student that wants to double major in international relations/ political science. The thing is, I have cr/ncr 1.5 Credits and I also LWD a class. Will this affect my chances of getting into the program, even though I’m doing well in all my other classes? Basically, will my transcript look bad for entry into the program?

    hey there,

    in my experience, the departments only really look at the courses that they state are required to apply for the program. it could matter for things like grad school or professional school applications later on, but honestly for something like POSt, i don’t even know if they have the time to scrutinize every part of your transcript and take note of everyone’s cr/ncrs and lwds.

    i know friends who’ve gotten into relatively competitive programs with 60s or 70s in some electives, but they aced the required courses for their programs. as long as you’re doing well in the courses for the international relations and polisci majors, i’d say you’re in the clear.

    N B D GIFfrom No Biggie GIFs

    some programs might also look at things like your supplementary application or overall gpa (i think? not even sure if there are any that do that, actually), but if they do, it’ll be clearly listed in the program requirements. the one other thing is to make sure that you’ll have completed 4.0 FCEs by the end of first year, which is a common requirement for pretty much all programs i think. just remember that if you got an ncr or lwd, those would not count as completed credits, so you’ll have to be careful about that.

    good luck!

    aska

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  • CR/NCR,  current student,  late withdrawal

    save that gpa

    April 26, 2022

    Hey, I think one of my classes is gonna affect my gpa a bit, and I’m thinking about doing grad school in something later (probably an ma or mba if that affects anything), do you think a cr/ncr looks better on a record or a lwd? Really sad I missed the drop date :(( but I think I want to save my gpa above all

    hi there,

    so sorry i couldn’t get to this until now — i hope you figured something out, but i’ll just put this out there anyway in case anyone else gets in a similar situation.

    if you will likely pass the course, CR may look better than a LWD (i mean, a pass is a pass!), and you can still get credit for the course. if you think you might fail the course, it may be better to go with a LWD.

    it also depends on the specific programs you’re hoping to apply to for grad school. some might only look at your upper year gpa or final year gpa. actually, rotman mba and uoft master’s admissions both only require a minimum 3.0 or mid-B average in your final year, or last 5.0 FCEs.

    there isn’t much info on how they look at LWD versus CR/NCR, at least for uoft, but you can also reach out to the admissions office for the programs you’re interested in to ask!

    i hope that you were able to choose an option that works for you. realistically, i just wanna say that a few CRs or LWDs will likely be fine for grad school, so don’t sweat it! it sounds like you’ll be applying in later years, so there is still plenty of time to improve your academic record, especially for your final years, which will be the most important. i’d also recommend speaking to your registrar for support in your future courses.

    Massaging Give Me A Massage GIFfrom Massaging GIFs

    wishing you all the best!

    aska

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  • CR/NCR,  dropping courses,  late withdrawal

    to drop or not to drop

    January 10, 2022

    Should I drop my course, I did really bad on my final but I was not able to mark it as credit no credit and now the deadline is over. I’m really scared that this will affect my grades and everything else. But if I drop it it will be such a waste of money that I would also regret. Please help me.

    hey there,

    i think this might be too late for utm and utsc, but if you’re going to utsg, you may be in luck this semester as the credit/no credit and late withdrawal deadlines have been extended to january 18, which is hopefully after all your marks have come out so you can make a more informed decision.

    hopefully, if you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped in that course, you’d still be able to cr/ncr it! but just keep in mind that the extended cr/ncr does not apply to program requirement courses, unless your course was one of those that had their final exams cancelled due to the new covid regulations (it seems like that’s not the case for you).

    if you need the course for program requirements and can’t cr/ncr it, i’d recommend seeing how much that course impacts your grades overall using a gpa calculator like this one. that might help you to decide if you’d like to late withdrawal the course. unfortunately, a late withdrawal does mean that your fees for the dropped course wouldn’t be refunded, and you may need to pay to retake the course in the future. it’s a tough decision, but i think ultimately it comes down to what mark you need from the course to meet your goals, and how feasible it would be for you to drop the course and retake it if needed.

    hope that was helpful in some way. i’d also recommend checking out some of the academic advising resources (here’s a list of resources in arts and science) on campus if you have any other concerns, they could definitely help out with questions about lwd and even financial aid or academic support which could be helpful if you end up needing to drop the course.

    best wishes,

    aska

    Nice GIFfrom Good Luck GIFs

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  • bad times,  failing,  health,  late withdrawal,  petition

    my bed is my safe place

    June 2, 2017

    Hey,

    My registrar has advised me to petition to have a quite a few of my credits designated as LWD instead of the F’s they currently have due to my documented illness (read: mental health struggles). I was just wondering if you could give a ball-park estimation of how successful these types of petitions are? The depth of consideration these petitions are given? Will I be taken seriously or will the petition-gods roll their eyes?

    I’m scared/embarrassed of submitting a petition with such a heavy request. I actually do pretty well in school when I’m not in bed all day (which has been the case for the past year and a half).*

    *FYI, I am currently receiving treatment and plan to resume with my studies – I just really need my academic record cleaned up if I want to have any future in my field or any future period.

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey,

    while i personally haven’t seen people petition to designate failed courses as LWD, (that’s not to say it doesn’t happen) petitioning for most things at U of T is done through a case by case basis. there isn’t really a formula or way to predict what the outcome will be. since this petition is kind of a big deal, know that the petition committee will not handle it lightly and will only approve of it if there are serious extenuating circumstances.

    for now, i would just follow the advice of your registrar and try to petition it anyways. the fact that your registrar has advised you to do so means that they think there could be a chance of it getting approved. and hey, it doesn’t hurt to try!

    in my personal experience (meaning it might not be the same for everyone), mental health issues are dealt with pretty seriously at U of T. i’ve definitely late withdrawn from several courses over the years due to mental health issues with the help of my registrar and counsellors at health and wellness. being in bed all day made going to class and, well, pretty much everything very difficult. it was the greatest escape from reality. you’re not alone.

    the good thing is, you’ve taken the initiative to contact your registrar and ask for help. the fact that you reached out for help definitely helps your case! i don’t think they’d straight up roll their eyes if, like you said, you do pretty well in school when you aren’t in bed.

    i can totally understand why you’re scared; petitioning is always a little nerve-wracking. it may not be what you want to hear, but realistically, the only thing you can do is keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best! remember, health always comes first. stick with the treatment plan if it works, and always put yourself and your wellbeing before anything else. you can do this.

    ^me and you

    (i started typing ‘hug’ into giphy and then i saw ‘hugh jackman’ [my husband], so i thought i would get him to give you some encouragement as well)

    sending you our love, luck, and positive vibes all around,

    aska

     

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  • admissions,  CR/NCR,  grad school,  late withdrawal,  OISE

    make your biggies small

    May 24, 2017

    Hi, How bad is getting a 1.0 LWD and 0.5 NCR (both courses not related to the program I’ll be applying to and future career) in first year? I’m seriously considering applying to uoft’s grad school (masters of teaching). And what can I do to improve my chances in getting accepted into grad school during the three years I have left of undergrad? Thank you so much.

    ———————————————

    hello!

    i would say that it’s not really a big deal! you are allowed to withdraw from up to 3.0 FCE’s and CR/NCR up to 2.0 FCE’s throughout your undergrad as safety nets. especially since you’re only in first year and neither courses are related to your future program, it really is no biggie.

    as for getting into grad school, you need more than just good grades. i would suggest doing extra-curriculars that are related to teaching, like volunteering at elementary schools or working with children. i’d also suggest doing stuff with the profs in the programs that relate to what you wanna do- they can write you reference letters and really help you out when it’s time to apply for grad school.

    good luck!!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • co-requisites,  late withdrawal

    ditching the co-req

    May 15, 2017
    Hey aska! I’m in a bit of a predicament. I’m thinking of late withdrawing from a course that is a corequisite for another course. If I late withdraw from the one course in early April, how likely do you think it is that I’ll be able to stay in the other course? After all, by then the year will almost be over. How should I go about requesting permission for something like this? Thanks!
    ———————————————
    hey,
    this is a great question! i consulted an academic advisor on this and this is what she said:
    the department conducts checks to make sure students are taking the appropriate co-requisites, however, LWD’s are done after the drop date which means that you’d be withdrawing from the course pretty late in the semester. the department most likely will completed their checks way before the end of the semester so i’m assuming they wouldn’t remove you from the other course. (unless they did, in that case, i’m sorry) it’s unlikely that departments would remove students from courses so late in the semester.
    if you do need to take these co-req classes for your program, you’ll probably have to retake the course you LWD’d, assuming you passed the other class.
    there are a lot of complex factors regarding the consequences of LWDing co-requisites, and i encourage you to have a conversation about it with your registrar. in order to apply for LWD, you must make an appointment with your registrar’s office because they are the ones who will process it for you. they can help you discuss strategies to avoid future LWD’s and give you the specifics on co-requisites. i don’t want to go into too much detail on corequisites because without knowing which courses you’re taking, the information would be pretty useless. it gets more complicated the more co-requisites there are and sometimes it depends on the department. your academic advisor will be able to help you with course-specific questions!
    hope this helped a little! when in doubt, always go to your registrar’s office!
    peace and love,
    aska
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  • CR/NCR,  dropping courses,  late withdrawal,  probation

    always choose the option with the dog

    December 9, 2016

    Hello Aska!

    I’m extremely frustrated and stressed at how much I’ve taken school for granted, so much that I’m now on academic probation! I’m currently taking 4 courses at UTSG and I know for sure I can not pass this one course. So I’m wondering if it’s possible to drop it before the deadline (Nov 6) without it harming my academic standing.

    Please tell me something good.. otherwise I’m quitting life and taking my dog and we are moving to the mountains and becoming mountain people

    ———————————————

    hello,

    first of all, i realize this answer may no longer be relevant, but i hope in the future you’ll direct your more urgent questions to a registrar! as much as i would like to answer everyone’s questions immediately, some questions do take more time to answer and as a result, it’s hard to answer questions in a timely manner.

    nevertheless, i will answer your question now so future students in your situation can benefit! dropping a course before the drop deadline will not have an effect on your academic standing. yippee! i really hope you actually dropped it.

    if you ever miss the drop deadline, you have the following options, to credit/ no credit (or as some people call it, “see-ar, en-see-ar”), or to late withdraw from the course.

    to credit/ no credit (abbreviated as cr/ncr) the course is an option if you are doing poorly in the course and are not sure if you will pass. if you do pass, you’ll receive credit for the course and no grade. if you don’t pass, you won’t receive the credit. keep in mind, this only applies for courses that you don’t need for your program. you can cr/ncr up to 2.0 FCE’s. cr/ ncr deadlines are usually well into the respective semester and are listed in the ‘sessional dates‘ section of the arts and science website.

    to late withdraw (LWD) from a course is for situations in which you think you’ll fail and if you’ve missed the drop deadline and the cr/ncr deadline. it won’t affect your GPA and your transcript will just say LWD.  you can LWD from up to 3.0 FCE’s. you’ll have to go through a LWD with your registrar and discuss what went wrong to prevent it from happening again. the deadline for late withdrawal is on the last day of classes in each respective semester, meaning dec 7th is the last day to LWD from an F course, and april 5th is the last day to LWD from S and Y courses)

    pro-tip: take a look at all the sessional dates and mark the dates for cr/ncr and LWD on your calendar. you never know when those dates will come in handy!

    registrar’s offices always get students saying, “well i didn’t know when the deadline was!” well, tough.

    moral of the story? keep in touch with your registrar’s office when you have an urgent situation. they’re a great help and don’t usually bite.

    giphy-1

    peace and love,

    aska

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  • late withdrawal,  petition,  probation,  registration,  suspension

    chin up

    September 26, 2016

    Hello,

    I was wondering if there are any cases where a student who was refused further registration was allowed back through petitioning?

    In the Jan-Apr 2016 semester, I enrolled in a few courses that I had to eventually drop due to extenuating circumstances. Unfortunately, I had confused the course drop date with the late withdrawal date and ended up having the to late withdraw my courses instead. The problem is I went over the late withdrawal limit and was left with one course that I could not have passed by then. I was on my last academic suspension, thus was refused further registration after having this failed course on my record.

    I immediately filed a petition to have the course removed from by records, but was refused. This was in April. I have been working since then, but I really want to finish my degree. Since my second suspension, my grades have been slowly improving, though not enough to take me out of academic probation. I am eight courses short of completion and to fail now because of a careless mistake, not poor grades, is regrettable. I have been trying so hard to improve. I’ve been on suspension so many times, but I keep coming back because even though I am not a very good student, I am serious about getting my degree.

    I have been talking to an academic advisor since my first suspension way back when. She’d helped me with my latest petition too, but after it was refused, I emailed her several times, including one last week, but no response. Maybe she is on holiday. Or maybe she has no obligation to talk to someone who is not a student? Is that possible?

    Are there any stories of people actually coming back from a refusal? What do you think of my situation? Also, when I was suspended for 36 months, I actually made a petition for an early return and was approved. The approval message included a line that said that this would be the only time something like this will be approved; the same type of petition will not be approved a second time. If I appeal this time, would it be a different type of petition?

    Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

    ———————————————

    hello there!

    first of all, i want to commend you for your unrelenting determination in completing your degree. i would give anything to be as determined as you!

    that being said, i wish i had better news for you.

    given the fact that you have been suspended multiple times, it’s very unlikely that the university will let you re-register. due to the unique nature of your question, i actually consulted a registrar and was told that petitioning after being refused further registration was possible, but extremely rare.

    ‘refused further registration‘ is as clear as it gets.

    if you are dead set on trying to come back (again, good for you), my advice for you is to try contacting your college’s registrar’s office. i understand that your advisor may not be responding to your emails, but if you contact the office directly, they might be able to do something for you, whether it’s helping you pursue your petition, or looking for alternate options.

    since it is a busy time of year, some registrar’s offices get backed up with too many emails from incoming students, so it may help to go visit them in person. generally, offices tend to help those who come in person first over those on the phone or those who email.

    i’m assuming that petitioning refused further registration will be a different petition because it’s making an appeal for a different rule at the university, but again, your registrar will have a better idea of how the petition process works.

    if you aren’t able to come back to school, you might want to consider applying elsewhere. you never know, another university or college may have a different acceptance standards.

    have i ever heard of anyone coming back from being refused further registration? no, but that’s not because it’s never happened before, it’s only because that in my short time as aska, i’ve never met anyone who has been refused further registration.

    in terms of my own opinion, i think it’s great that you’ve been working during your suspension and being productive. i hope that you’ve found something that you enjoy doing! maybe further employment and pursuing your career is the way to go! it certainly is cheaper than completing a degree! don’t be discouraged, you said that your grades had been steadily improving. do not forget about that progress. your determination alone will get you very far.

    aska believes in you.

    and frankly, i’m excited to see how your life unfolds. drop us a line sometime and keep us updated on your situation!

    cheers,

    aska

     

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  • late withdrawal

    choices are hard

    June 20, 2016

    I am currently in my third year. I have a score of 51/100 before the final exam. Should I drop it or keep it ? I will have to go for LWD as the deadline for dropping a course has already passed. I already have one LWD from my 2nd year. I want to get into a grad school. All the grad schools look for grades 3rd and 4th year. I am scared another LWD would look bad on my transcript. What should i do ?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    i can’t make that call for you, mon amigo. it depends on how much the exam is worth. it depends on how confident you are in your understanding of the material. it depends on how much studying you think you can pack in before the exam. all of these things are subjective, not easily quantifiable, and, unfortunately, not things a stranger can decide for you. as much as it would be comforting to download all your responsibilities and hard decisions onto another person, that’s not how life works. it’s not something aska can do for you – i’m sorry.

    even though it’s a lot harder than just sending off an e-mail, the best advisers you could ask for right now would be the folks at your college/divisional registrar’s office. they will be able to look at your marks so far, have an in-depth chat with you about this course, your aspirations for grad school, and your overall transcript. based on all of that, they can help you make the best decision moving forward.

    i will say that, generally speaking, an LWD is better than a failed mark that drags down your GPA. two LWD’s aren’t great, but if the rest of your transcript is really strong – if you can pull off a really strong AGPA in your fourth year, for example – you may be able to counterbalance two LWD’s. that being said, there’s no cut-and-dry, surefire formula for applying to grad school, both because there is no one standard application, and no one standard grad school. it’s all about negotiating your particular capabilities with their particular expectations and trying to make them meet.

    as far as i know, most (if not every) college registrar’s office needs to meet with you before LWD’ing anyway, so take that opportunity to have an in-depth, honest discussion with your adviser about your needs and concerns. ask them what they think the best option would be, considering the grad schools you’re interested in and your transcript. they won’t be able to tell you ‘yes’ or ‘no’ either, but they will have more information than i do, and thus be better able to advise you.

    ultimately, while this is a hard decision to make, i believe that you know the right answer. listen to the advice you get from your registrar’s office, but when the time comes, trust your gut. ask yourself honestly: is it worth it to write this exam? can i pass this course? you know your own abilities better than anyone else. trust them.

    all the best,

    aska

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  • late withdrawal,  OSAP

    i need my O$AP fund$

    June 16, 2016

    Hi there

    I am a student at UofT in two summer courses. I deferred my fees in order to receive OSAP, which I did. Currently, I still have a balance on my account. I plan to apply for a late withdrawal for one course. Does that mean the balance on my account will decrease, since it is a pay per course system? I realize that I passed the date where I could drop a course without penalty. What does this do in terms of balance? I am told I need to notify OSAP if I drop a course. I am a student with a disability, and dropping a course means Ill only be enrolled in 0.5 courses this semester. Will this put me on OSAP probation if I do LWD?? I have no idea what to do. What happens in terms of OSAP if I drop from 1.0 courses to 0.5 course (and I am on disability) in a LWD – and I still have a balance due on my Rosi account??

    Thank you!!

    ———————————————

    hey there.

    since you’re now in LWD territory, i’m going to assume this is an ‘F’ course you’re talking about. if that’s the case, then unfortunately we have passed the last date when you could’ve received a refund for the course. that means that when/if you LWD from it, your balance will stay the same.

    if you are dropping to 0.5 credits and you are on full-time OSAP, then yes, you would likely be put on OSAP probation, since the full-time course load for students with a registered disability is 1.0 credit.

    if this is your first time being put on OSAP probation (and i’m assuming it is, otherwise you would already know how this game is played), there will likely not be a financial penalty at this point. that is, you would still receive the money you’ve been assessed for in order to pay off your outstanding balance – and rent, and food, and a new bottle of shampoo, finally, after trying to wash your hair with soap for a week and a half (or is that just me?).

    full house piggy bank

    no OSAP money can sometimes result in desperate measures

    all you would have to do is write a letter explaining why you dropped from full-time.

    that being said, there are many, many things that can affect your interaction with OSAP. please do not assume that your situation is standard. instead, double-check with enrolment services to see exactly how you should proceed after dropping down. they would be able to help you.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • late withdrawal

    WDR (We Don’t, Really)

    June 2, 2016

    Hi ASKA,

    I failed a prerequisite course and I am taking it again this summer. I really need to take grad programs in the future how bad could it be if I get an A+ in summer but with F on the transcript? Is there anything else I can do to make up? I have heard of WDR, is it possible for me to WDR? Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    an WDR is a pretty extreme last resort, and usually only happens when students are in a very unusual situation beyond their control, that negatively impacted their coursework. you can always talk to your registrar’s office about petitioning to WDR (though it is a bit late at this point), though honestly, it may cost you more energy than it’s worth, especially since there is no guarantee that your petition would be approved.

    that energy may be better spent working really hard to make sure that the second time around, you do really well. but that’s just my two cents.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • grad school,  late withdrawal,  law

    blah school

    June 9, 2015

    Hello,
    I desperately want to get into grad school/law school but I have a cGPA of 3.42 and two LWD on my transcript. The LWDs were probably a bit stupid, they were in my 2nd and 3rd years and due to getting 60s in two mandatory classes. I retook one and didn’t do much better – got a B. I’m redoing the other LWD class again as I go into my 4th year. I also had medical reasons for the LWDs (because I got them after the deadline had passed) but obviously it does not say that on my transcript. I’ll be graduating this year and I don’t plan on getting anymore LWDs. My question to you is: how badly do these LWDs affect my chances of getting into grad school/law school? Is it too late for me? With these grades and the two LWDs, how likely/unlikely will I get accepted into grad school? (The programs I’ve been looking at has a B- cut off and A- admission average).
    Thanks,Desperate Student

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    asking me whether you’ll get into graduate school without specifying which program or university you’re interested in is like asking whether you can afford a meal without specifying the meal or how much money you have.

    but aska is a trooper, and i’m gonna do the best i can.

    if the programs you’re looking at have a B- cut-off, and you’ve got a B+, then yeah, your chances are good. the LWDs aren’t great, but if the courses aren’t related to your program of interest and they were in second and third year, then they’re not the end of the world.

    not much more i can say about that. but you can always call the admissions committee at the school in question and bug them about it if their website is especially cryptic.

    generally speaking, graduate schools tend only to look at your grades in third/fourth years – though you’ll have to check the specific requirements of your program/school to make sure. so if you’re calculating admissions averages, make sure only to include the years they’ll actually look at.

    easy peasy, right? you didn’t even need me for that. look, i’ll even give you a tool that will calculate your GPA for you.

    that’s graduate school. law school is a whole ‘nother thing.

    i don’t really feel like looking up admissions averages for every single law school in the English-speaking world, so i’m just going to focus on Canadian schools in this answer. schools elsewhere might operate differently, so make sure to check that before applying willy-nilly.

    i’m gonna be straight with you – a 3.42 falls beneath the minimum CGPA for every law school in the country. putting the LWDs aside, the CGPA in itself is concerning.

    the ghost of Law School Future is dark and damning, but there is still hope at the end of this dream.

    law schools in Canada typically look at your three best years, and sometimes only your best two. that should bump your admissions GPA up a little. and hey, if your worst year has an LWD in it, all the better.

    the LWDs on their own won’t be a death sentence on your application, as long as your GPA is within the realm of interesting to the admissions committee. you can also always write a letter as part of your application explaining why those LWDs are there.

    finally: you’re going into fourth year! you still have one full year to absolutely KILL IT before you start applying. you can do a lot in your final year if you put your mind to it. competitive LSATs can also make up for small weaknesses in your GPA, so do your very best to give that your all.

    good luck with your applications, dude,

    aska

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  • late withdrawal,  repeating course,  UTM

    MAT133 *shudders*

    March 24, 2015

    Hey! So, I’m a first year commerce student at UTM and I’m going to apply to the accounting specialist Subject POSt. The prerequisite courses for this POSt are ECO100, MAT133, MGM101, and MGT120, but I’m failing MAT133. I think I’m going to withdraw from this course, rather than failing, and take it during the summer. Will the LWD on my transcript affect my admission into the POSt, or anything else?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, you won’t be able to get into the POSt if one of the prereqs has an LWD on it. however, i can’t see anything on the requirements for an accounting specialist that says that they will give preference to people who tried the course more than once.

    SO if you LWD the course, take it again and do really well, and your marks in the other three prereqs + CGPA are competitive, then you’d still be competitive for the POSt.

    otherwise, LWDs do have some impact on graduate school applications, but this is one LWD in your first year, so honestly, i wouldn’t stress too much about it. if you think you can do significantly better in the course by LWD’ing it now and taking it again, then go on over to your registrar and make an appointment to discuss putting through a request.

    good luck with it, my friend,

    aska

    P.S. make sure you follow updates related to the strike, as they may affect the rules related to LWDs. HOW they might be affected, i can’t say. it’s all part of the THRILL AND EXCITEMENT of labour disputes! whoo!

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