Can I Make It To Grad School After Failing Calculus?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the challenges and strategies for gaining admission to graduate school after experiencing academic setbacks, specifically failing calculus and withdrawing from courses. The participant plans to utilize the CLEP (College Level Examination Program) to bypass Calculus I and aims for a GPA between 3.6 and 3.8. It is confirmed that graduate schools require transcripts from all post-secondary education, meaning past performance will be evaluated. However, strong performance in upper-level physics courses can mitigate earlier failures, and a well-crafted explanation can enhance the application.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and its application in academic settings
  • Familiarity with GPA calculations and their significance in graduate school admissions
  • Knowledge of the competitive nature of graduate school admissions processes
  • Awareness of how to effectively communicate academic challenges in application materials
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the CLEP process and how to effectively prepare for exams
  • Explore strategies for improving GPA in upper-level physics courses
  • Learn how to write a compelling academic explanation letter for graduate school applications
  • Investigate the specific admission requirements and evaluation criteria of targeted graduate programs
USEFUL FOR

Students pursuing a Physics degree, individuals with academic setbacks seeking graduate school admission, and anyone interested in understanding the impact of GPA and course history on graduate applications.

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I failed calculus due to personal issues at the very end of the course although I was doing fine in it, would have gotten an A.

I have also withdrawn from a 2 other courses at my current institution.

I am very near the beginning of my potential Physics degree and plan to CLEP out of Calculus I so I can move onto Calc II. I will probably also CLEP out of one of the classes I have withdrawn from...wish I had known about CLEP sooner :/

Anyway, If I do well in the rest of my courses. Supposing I get roughly a 3.6-3.8 GPA do I stand a chance of going to grad school?

I am 22 going on 23 now and I also went to another institution before, doing rather poorly however none of the courses were related to a BS in Physics. Will grad schools need to see those records as well?

If I am dedicated and improve my academic demeanor to where I do very well; will I constantly have to write up and "excuse" paragraph in every applications for REU, Grad school or whatever else to, ameliorate the situation or will a sufficiently good the remainder of my course work speak for itself?

I have roughly 3/5ths of my schooling and as I transferred with a starting GPA of 4.0 after I clep out of Calculus.
 
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If you do well on all your remaining courses, then I think you have a good chance of going to grad school somewhere.
 
Yes I am resolved to the fact that I'm not going to a top-tier grad school. That doesn't bother me at all. I just hope that my history wouldn't make me unacceptable for any Phd program.
 
I'm not sure what CLEP is.

Graduate schools generally require transcripts of all post-secondary education, so yes, they will see your academic history. I won't sugar coat if for you. Getting into grad school is a competative process, so everything counts. That beind said, if you have good marks in your senior undergrad physics classes more weight can be placed on those subjects, but every school has its own formula for figuring out the ranking of incoming students.
 
If you're taking Calc I I am assuming you're a freshman? In which case if you failed one class, and for the next 4 years get A's, they will probably consider the F a fluke, and if you explain in a letter, you got as good a shot as anyone
 
I screwed some things up at the end of my undergrad rather than the beginning, and ended up with a 3.5 GPA. I got into grad school just fine, at a decent school (USC). Things are going well here.

What happened to you is nothing to be discouraged about. There is an opportunity out there for you if you try for it.
 
I'm a freshman from a physics standpoint but have enough credits to be considered a sophomore otherwise.
 

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