Hello! I’ve been struggling with severe anxiety all my life, and it really reflects in my grades. I was wondering if there was anyway at all to get my past grades deleted from my GPA, if there is such a thing. I don’t want to ask the registrars office in the (highly likely) chance that I could be wrong. If I could get my psychologist to give proof that I’m dealing with anxiety, or if there’s anything I can do. I came off suspension and I’m doing so much better in terms of my grades but my GPA.
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hey there,
my first instinct upon reading this question was to tell you that there is no known avenue for removing past grades from your GPA. which is generally true. but then i gave your situation a good amount of thought and realized there was one way you might be able to achieve this, although i’m not ACTUALLY sure if it’s viable. wow. we love delivering news like that. i just don’t wanna get your hopes up by making it seem like cupcakes and sprinkles, yknow?
so. if any avenue would work to remove past grades from your GPA, it would be the petitions process. if you’re unfamiliar, petitions are basically how u of t students beg the big ol’ bureaucracy for an exception to the extensive list of laws that govern our lives, also known as the rules and regulations.
at a first glance, none of the common petitions fit your circumstances. one relatively common petition people send in is for a late withdrawal without academic penalty, which would technically have those courses removed from your GPA. the caveat is that those courses would need to be from this fall/winter term. u of t also notes that if you passed the course, late withdrawal without academic penalty is not appropriate. but if you meet the conditions, it might be an option for you. based on the information you gave me, i’m not sure that you do? but putting it out there in case my understanding of things is not accurate.
if want to know whether it’s possible to petition for any other forms of grade removal, you will need to contact your registrar. they’d be the best people to tell you what’s possible and what’s not possible, because they have a lot of experience with petitions. they’ve probably also encountered this question before, so don’t be afraid to ask. i’m pretty sure the answer is usually a no re: removing past grades, but i’m not sure if medical documentation may change that. it’s best to just ask. even if the answer is no, your registrar’s office will be able to connect you with other resources that might help you move forward, or advise other solutions.
for future references, the system tends to be more forgiving when you address academic issues right away. whether that’s petitioning for term work extensions or even just talking to your professor to see what they can do, there are provisions in place for supporting students who might be dealing with medical issues. the thing is that most of them are only allowed to be enacted until a certain date after a course is completed. i know it can be incredibly difficult to deal with these kinds of things when you’re working through severe bouts of mental illness, but i wanted you to know that if you’re able to act fast in the future, it may make things easier on you.
in any case, i’m glad you’re doing better now. i hope this was at least a little bit helpful and that you’re staying safe and healthy wherever you are.
be Boundless,
aska