Latewithdrawal of a prereq course?

[datass]

So I'm currently taking a 4th year genetics course and getting an insanely high mark. But since OVC wasn't something I was looking at during course selections, my semester is technically not full time due to too many 2nd year courses...

The admissions requirements say:
"Courses will not be acceptable if they are repeats of previously passed courses..."

So if I late withdrawal this course and just retake it next year I would be able to use it as a prereq? ...since it's technically not a course I passed lol

This is doubly appealing since I've read anecdotes of some people on here having trouble with the whole "if they are taken at the same level or a lower level in a subject area than previously passed courses in the same subject area. " thing after having taking a 4th year course.... regardless of the subject area being completely different


I emailed Lundmark, but due to holidays... and her being busy... and LWD deadlines, just wondering if someone else dealt with this before?

[dreizehn]

I don't know what university you are currently at, and I didn't go to UofG before coming to OVC, so I can only speak from my prior experience at other universities. Firstly, I fully agree that the full-time semester weight rules and prerequisite requirements can be effectively used to determine which semesters/courses will be looked at when submitting a DVM program application. However, with it being so late in this semester, there are at least a couple of things you need to pay close attention to:

• In my experience with other universities, and from a quick glance at UofG's undergrad calendar, late drops are often only allowed for extenuating circumstances ("...medical, psychological or compassionate circumstances"):

  "The dropping of a course after the deadline is allowed only in exceptional circumstances and normally requires a Request for Academic Consideration"
  
  (both quotes taken from the UofG 2013-2014 undergrad calendar)

  Seeing as you don't seem to fit this case, you would have to check with a course/program advisor as to whether dropping at this point is even a possibility, with or without academic penalty.
  
  
  
• Now, I know some institutions do allow later drops without such rigmarole, HOWEVER many of them then apply a "filler grade" or academic penalty (e.g., a non-passing grade is put on your transcript). For example, from what I remember, at a previous university of mine the dropping scheme was something like:
  • Before 1st drop deadline (i.e., a few weeks into semester): no penalty, not shown on transcript
    
  • After 1st drop deadline but before final drop deadline (i.e., ~2/3 through the semester): shown on transcript as dropped
    
  • After final drop deadline: academic penalty and sometimes only with approval (maybe given a 49% or something like that? I forget the exact detail, but it was something more than just listing the course as dropped)
  
  If the course were to be merely listed as dropped and nothing more, I believe your approach would then work, and the course could be taken in a future, full-time semester to be used as a prerequisite (of course, this would have to be officially confirmed with Ms. Lundmark). However, were an academic penalty applied (e.g., a non-passing grade), then the course would just be like any other failed course, and I do not think you could retake it later to use as an OVC prereq (as it would be a repeated course). I know it technically says "...previously passed course..." on the OVC web site, but I don't know if they actually intend that to apply in a somewhat more broad sense.
  
  
  
• Keep in mind also that the OVC admissions web site does have the statement: "The DVM Admissions Committee reserves the right to deny the use of certain courses in the calculation of the admission average." (www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/future/dvm/admissions/academic/). They can ultimately decide which courses you submit will and will not be allowed, so if they felt you were taking a repeat course in a manner that put you at an unfair advantage to the other applicants, they might disallow the use of that course as a prereq.
  

Ultimately, Ms. Lundmark has the final say and is the only one who can give a definitive answer in regards to applying to the DVM program, so you'll either need to wait for your answer from her, or to take the risk on your own shoulders. Just be very careful if you decide to proceed without official advice, as it could have a significant impact on a future application.

[datass]

Haha you always have such awesome replies

Yea this was a case of dropping the course and transcript showing that it was dropped... I gave her a call and it was fine though

have a giraffe... since you seem to like giraffes :0

[dreizehn]

Thanks.

Good to hear it's just listing as dropped, so it'll work out for you. I too had some courses listed as dropped on my transcripts from some "effective" use of the semester weight rules, so I know that shouldn't affect the admissions process at all.

And thanks for the giraffe. There is indeed a general insufficiency of giraffes in everyday life.

Good luck with your future application!