Dropping/Withdrawing From a Course

Dates & Deadlines

For a full calendar showing the various withdrawal deadlines throughout the semester, select the Registration category on the interactive One Stop Academic Calendars page to view Add/Drop deadlines for courses.

Weeks 1 and 2 of the semester

• PSEO students may cancel registration for a course before the end of week two of a semester with no penalty by using MyU.umn.edu. View the How-To guide on Dropping a Course. 

• To view the exact date, click on the One Stop calendar. Be sure to select the term.

Weeks 3 through 10 of the semester

• Students may cancel courses between weeks 3 and 10 of the regular semester. Be sure to confirm this drop with your high school counselor or homeschool authority. 

• Withdrawing from a course should generally be considered a last resort when you think you won't be able to earn a C- or higher in the course and/or you're facing extenuating circumstances such as an illness, death in the family, and so forth. 

• A grade of “W” will appear on the official transcript and means that a student was enrolled in a class and canceled it at some point after the second week.

• One "W" in isolation isn't usually a problem, but a pattern of "W" courses could affect college admission. Always contact the colleges you're applying to and confirm the impact a "W" could have on your admission. This includes the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. 

• Use the Course Cancellation Form. 

  • After completing this online form, a copy of your responses will be sent to your PSEO advisor. They will drop you from the course and email you back a confirmation. 

After week 10 of the semester

• Students typically cannot cancel classes after the tenth week of the semester except by submitting an Academic Policy Petition to the Scholastic Committee. 

• Petitions to drop a course once finals week has started are very rarely approved.

• PSEO students may request a One-time Late Withdrawal after the 10-week deadline but before the last day of instruction. 

  • • This option is available once during your UMN career. 

      • If you use your One-time Late Withdrawal during PSEO, it will not be available to you as an University of Minnesota undergraduate.

    • Dropping a course using your One-time Late Withdrawal results in a "W" on your academic record.

    • Students are not able to withdraw from a course if they've completed the final exam or its equivalent. 

    • Students need to complete an online form by 4:30 pm on the last day of instruction for the term to use this option. Request this link from your PSEO advisor.

• If extenuating circumstances affected your academic performance during the semester, reach out to your PSEO advisor for additional course drop options.

When is a "W" Better Than a Grade?

There's no easy answer to the question of whether you should drop a class or stay in it and get what feels like a low grade. It can be especially tough because you won't have a final grade when you decide; you'll just have a loose midterm grade and a sense of your trend in the class.

Still, there are two common questions we want to address here: 

1. What grade do I need to complete a requirement?

2. Does a W look better to colleges than a [C/D/F]?

Minimum Grade for Common Requirements

• • high school graduation: D or higher usually counts

  • UMN liberal education requirement: D or higher usually counts

  • major requirement: C- or higher counts for University of Minnesota major requirements

  • college transfer requirements:  Check with the individual school to learn what minimum grade is required to transfer the class. For example, one university might accept D or higher grades while another might require a grade of C or higher.

  • graduate requirements, such as medical school: D or higher usually counts

For example, say a student is on track to get a D+ in a Class A. If they are taking Class A for a major requirement, they may choose to drop the class  since they would have to retake it anyway to count for the major. If they are instead taking it for a liberal education requirement, they  could choose to stay in it since even the D+ would still clear the requirement.

"Does a W look better to colleges than a [C/D/F]?"

Some very general guidelines:

• C and above: Better to keep the grade, outside of very rare circumstances.

• C-, D, D+: Depends a bit on why you're taking the class (see above), but it can go either way.

• F: Better to drop.

Contact your advisor to discuss the specifics of your situation.

If you have already used your One-time Late Withdrawal...

• Other late cancellation requests are subject to approval by the Scholastic Committee and are approved only for documented extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. Reach out to your PSEO advisor for details.

• All course cancellations based on accepted petitions will be reflected on the official transcript with a “W.”

• Students in this situation will be directed by their PSEO advisor to use the Academic Policy Petition for these requests. Again, start with your PSEO advisor to discuss your options.

Reminders

Keep your high school counselors up-to-date on the status of your university enrollment, especially since some high schools convert "Ws" to "Fs."

In the case of a course withdrawal after the second week of the term, you must notify your high school.