Pass/No Pass

[drew617]

Does taking a class Pass/No Pass adversely affect an admissions officer's view of transcripts?  i.e. Do they see it as a "cop-out"?  What are your thoughts?

Thanks

[Bettn]

Probably depends what the class is. My undergrad required certain classes to be pass/fail, and I don't think it adversely affected my applications.

[drew617]

Well none of my classes are required to be taken Pass/Fail, but we have the option of changing the grading basis from letter grades to Pass/Fail on one of our courses.  I've never seriously considered doing that until this semester because I'm studying abroad and will undoubtedly be spending less time studying and more time travelling and enjoying the culture.  That probably makes me sound like less of a serious student, like I came to study overseas primarily for purposes outside academia.  However, it's true.  I just don't want to convey that sense of "skewed" priorities to an admissions board if in fact they see it in such a negative light.

[RockyMarciano]

Well, I would think it is better to have a Pass than a C. What is your current GPA? One or two Pass/Fail classes are not going to hurt you in the admissions process especially if you have a 3.7+.

[drew617]

Yeah, that's what I figured too.  I probably wouldn't get a C, but I'd rather not take the risk of getting something in that ballpark, especially if avoiding that risk won't be a major negative.  I'm in that GPA range so I guess it matters less?

[pikey]

A few pass/fails in undergrad is not a big deal.  A few per semester is!  If you have to take more than one or two in a single semester you should probably write an addendum (assuming its because you were working, ill, etc.).  Also, it doesn't look good if you're taking 1 every semester. 

The exception is certain 1 or 2 credit classes, because many schools have seminars or PEs that are required to be pass/fail.  Admissions committees have seen enough transcripts to know this, and therefore will not penalize you for it.

[drew617]

A few pass/fails in undergrad is not a big deal.  A few per semester is!  If you have to take more than one or two in a single semester you should probably write an addendum (assuming its because you were working, ill, etc.).  Also, it doesn't look good if you're taking 1 every semester. 

The exception is certain 1 or 2 credit classes, because many schools have seminars or PEs that are required to be pass/fail.  Admissions committees have seen enough transcripts to know this, and therefore will not penalize you for it.

Well I can only take 1 per semester, and in reality this would be the only time in my undergrad career that I take one.  However, it's not because I'm working or ill; it's because I'm abroad and doing some travelling and want to lighten the load a bit.  Probably a lame excuse but still.  So it's not a recurring theme, but it also doesn't have a nice excuse attached to it.  Also, it is a full 5-unit course, so it's not a seminar or P.E.  I apologize if I'm beating this issue to death, but your comments have been helpful in a way that has brought out other factors such as these that I haven't considered.  Thanks again!

[pikey]

A few pass/fails in undergrad is not a big deal.  A few per semester is!  If you have to take more than one or two in a single semester you should probably write an addendum (assuming its because you were working, ill, etc.).  Also, it doesn't look good if you're taking 1 every semester. 

The exception is certain 1 or 2 credit classes, because many schools have seminars or PEs that are required to be pass/fail.  Admissions committees have seen enough transcripts to know this, and therefore will not penalize you for it.

Well I can only take 1 per semester, and in reality this would be the only time in my undergrad career that I take one.  However, it's not because I'm working or ill; it's because I'm abroad and doing some travelling and want to lighten the load a bit.  Probably a lame excuse but still.  So it's not a recurring theme, but it also doesn't have a nice excuse attached to it.  Also, it is a full 5-unit course, so it's not a seminar or P.E.  I apologize if I'm beating this issue to death, but your comments have been helpful in a way that has brought out other factors such as these that I haven't considered.  Thanks again!

You don't need an excuse for that.  Taking one class p/f is no big deal.  Admissions people probably won't even look at it.  It's when you have classes all over the place or at lot in one semester that it looks bad.  Don't worry about it.