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@resident_burrito
0 answers, 1 vote
 • 2 years ago •
Admissions Advice
[edited]

Would it be a bad idea to request a pass/fail grade? (10th grade)
Answered

Before the fall semester I had a GPA of around 3.8, but the D that I got in one of my classes is going to tank it badly. Would it be a be a good idea for me to request a pass/fail for that particular class? How would it look for college admissions?

3.8
badgrade
10th
1
5
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3 answers

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Accepted Answer
@mslilywind
7 answers, 16 votes
 • 2 years ago

I believe that if you can, it would be a good idea to request the pass/fail grade in addition to explaining your reasoning for it in your application. If you can't get the pass/fail grade, I would still recommend at least explaining why you got the grade and what you learned from that experience in your application.

0
1
@CameronBameron
2,281 answers, 8,539 votes
 • 2 years ago

Absolutely do this. You do not want a D on your transcript. Even a C looks bad these days.

Good luck.

1
0
@AlexanderOddo
expert
965 answers, 641 votes
 • 2 years ago

All of the answers here have good points. Explaining the D in the additional information section will allow colleges to holistically understand your academic performance. Much of what they care about is whether you tried your best in class given your circumstances. If any extenuating circumstances affected your performance, e.g. a concussion, definitely mention them.

0
[🎤 AUTHOR]@resident_burrito2 years ago

see the thing is there were no extenuating circumstances, just a teacher that taught their course badly, and idk if that’s something I can put in a college app

@AlexanderOddo
expert
2 years ago

In this case, you could frame the class as one-time moment of difficulty in your explanation. Your argument could go something along these lines: "I got a D because the class was challenging, even though I tried my best. This was a unique case - I love learning and I have received good grades in other classes." It would still be better to take the class pass/fail if possible, because your overall GPA is what is important.

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