How does a P/NC on my transcript affect my chances?

[moodyshores]

At my university, I can set up to 12 credits (4 courses) as P/NC so that they don't affect my GPA. The benefit is that I can coast through some of my more mundane degree requirements without worrying about tanking my GPA. The courses aren't difficult or even relevant to my major.

Do admissions offices see these as a blemish? 

 

[canuckfanatic]

18 minutes ago, moodyshores said:

At my university, I can set up to 12 credits (4 courses) as P/NC so that they don't affect my GPA. The benefit is that I can coast through some of my more mundane degree requirements without worrying about tanking my GPA. The courses aren't difficult or even relevant to my major.

Do admissions offices see these as a blemish? 

 

I recommend calling around at the admissions offices of your top choice law schools and asking - they're usually happy to answer these types of questions

[CroffleKing]

What?! This is a thing at some schools? What a significant disadvantage that creates for everyone else applying who attended a program that does not offer a chance to designate 4 of your most difficult, boring, etc. classes as pass/fail.

If it plays to your advantage, awesome for you... but... that is a serious leg up compared to other candidates when trying to compare you based on your GPA. That comparison will never be perfect (GPA using engineering program vs GPA that uses someone's MBA grades for example in a 'best 2 years' format) but that is wild. If UVic allowed this without any strike against you plus their usual drop x # of your lowest credit hours from your calculation based on how many credit hours you finished, you could potentially see a GPA calculation that eliminates your worst and potentially worst grades for like 2 full years of school.

Definitely contact the schools you want to attend like suggested, and this is purely an assumption, but I think based on your situation you might just get this advantage based on potentially no fair way to calculate your GPA otherwise - they wouldn't penalize someone with a PhD who has a bunch of credit hours listed as "Pass" for their dissertation, or someone who had other degree requirements like an internship or a class on managing burnout/mental health in the profession where there would be no meaningful way to evaluate someone compared to other students, and those would probably be the most 'like' situation for you.

You should post what school or program you go to if you're comfortable: that way other candidates could consider going there for this apparent boon on your GPA calculation of just getting to pick 4 hard or boring classes that 'don't count' for GPA but count toward your degree requirements (I say this with a whole lot of light hearted sarcasm, I'm not actually serious... seriously though, you should not come away from this feeling bad and definitely take advantage of it if you can as an individual who wants to get into law school - it just seems ludicrous to me that there is a program out there that allows this due to the implications it creates for applicants to anything competitive that relies on GPA like grad school, professional programs, for scholarships that are of national or provincial scope, etc.)

[moodyshores]

36 minutes ago, CroffleKing said:

What?! This is a thing at some schools? What a significant disadvantage that creates for everyone else applying who attended a program that does not offer a chance to designate 4 of your most difficult, boring, etc. classes as pass/fail.

If it plays to your advantage, awesome for you... but... that is a serious leg up compared to other candidates when trying to compare you based on your GPA. That comparison will never be perfect (GPA using engineering program vs GPA that uses someone's MBA grades for example in a 'best 2 years' format) but that is wild. If UVic allowed this without any strike against you plus their usual drop x # of your lowest credit hours from your calculation based on how many credit hours you finished, you could potentially see a GPA calculation that eliminates your worst and potentially worst grades for like 2 full years of school.

Definitely contact the schools you want to attend like suggested, and this is purely an assumption, but I think based on your situation you might just get this advantage based on potentially no fair way to calculate your GPA otherwise - they wouldn't penalize someone with a PhD who has a bunch of credit hours listed as "Pass" for their dissertation, or someone who had other degree requirements like an internship or a class on managing burnout/mental health in the profession where there would be no meaningful way to evaluate someone compared to other students, and those would probably be the most 'like' situation for you.

You should post what school or program you go to if you're comfortable: that way other candidates could consider going there for this apparent boon on your GPA calculation of just getting to pick 4 hard or boring classes that 'don't count' for GPA but count toward your degree requirements (I say this with a whole lot of light hearted sarcasm, I'm not actually serious... seriously though, you should not come away from this feeling bad and definitely take advantage of it if you can as an individual who wants to get into law school - it just seems ludicrous to me that there is a program out there that allows this due to the implications it creates for applicants to anything competitive that relies on GPA like grad school, professional programs, for scholarships that are of national or provincial scope, etc.)

I'm doing my undergrad at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, NS and I think the administration probably shares your sentiment as they've announced a significant change in the policy rendering it useless. However, the current model is in effect until August 31st so after I reach out to specific schools I'll absolutely take advantage. Thanks for the reply 🙂

[CroffleKing]

3 hours ago, moodyshores said:

Saint Mary's University in Halifax

Hahaha that is hilarious, that is where I did my undergrad over a decade ago.

[moodyshores]

On 1/9/2025 at 8:14 PM, CroffleKing said:

Hahaha that is hilarious, that is where I did my undergrad over a decade ago.

No word of a lie, I'm sitting in Loyola Commons as I type this

[CroffleKing]

53 minutes ago, moodyshores said:

No word of a lie, I'm sitting in Loyola Commons as I type this

Hahaha... I have fond memories of living in Loyola, and all the turf burn I got from that field over the years! I miss my years in Halifax quite a bit. I hope you enjoy your last semester there. Feel free to flip me a PM as well as you continue through prepping for this admissions cycle - happy to help if I can. This forum has been good to me and I'm always happy to pay it forward.