Skip to main content
What are your chances of acceptance?
Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
Loading…
UCLA
Loading…
+ add school
Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

Does dropping a class in high school look bad to admissions officers?

Feeling a bit anxious cuz I'm thinking about dropping a class that's really tanking my GPA, but I'm scared it'll look bad. I'm aiming for some competitive schools – will this hurt my application, or is it better to avoid the GPA hit?

a year ago

Hey there! If the class isn't a core subject or related to your intended major and dropping it will allow you to focus on your other classes and maintain a stronger GPA, it could be a wise decision. Admissions officers recognize that students are not just their transcripts—they are looking for applicants who demonstrate self-awareness and the ability to make thoughtful decisions about their education.

That being said, if the class is foundational, like biology or world history, dropping it could have a significant negative impact on your application, especially at highly selective schools where the admissions process is already so competitive. You'd likely want to retake the class, to show schools that you do have these foundational skills in your toolkit.

Regardless of whether you drop the class or stay and receive a low grade, this sounds like the kind of situation you'd want to explain in the "Additional Information" section of your application, so that schools can understand your decision to drop it, or poor performance, in full context. You can read about how to do that on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-explain-exceptional-personal-circumstances-on-applications

Good luck with your decision!

a year ago

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.