Repeated Coursework and Impact of ‘Extended-X’ Policies on Application to Professional Schools

If you are considering retaking a course to enhance your application to professional school, you will want to consider the following:
  1. IU policies on “Extended-X.” These policies vary according to when you took a particular course. Recently IU changed some policies regarding the “Extended-X” policy. For full information on these policies, please refer to the IU Registrar’s website information on Extended-X and consult with your academic advisor in your major department/school to learn if you are eligible to apply these policies. You will need to determine also whether you are eligible to apply the “Extended-X” policy to the particular course.

If you took the original class that you plan to repeat prior to Fall 2021 and you are eligible and apply the Extended-X policy: then the original grade will not be fully removed from the transcript; instead, an ‘X’ is placed next to the initial grade on the IU transcript to indicate you are applying this policy.

If you took the original class that you plan to repeat in Fall 2021 or later and you are eligible and apply the Extended-X policy: then the previous letter grade will be fully replaced with an ‘X’ and your previous grade will not appear on your IU transcript.

  1. You will want to consider the policies of the health profession school centralized application systems regarding coursework, repeated courses, and GPA calculations. These policies vary. See the section below on the different policies of the centralized application systems.
  2. You will also want to consider the likelihood of obtaining a higher grade in the course and how you will seek to approach the course the second time. Before re-enrolling, you will want to create a plan for success, including such elements as devoting additional time to the course, developing new study skills, attending instructor office hours, and using tutoring services.

If you have questions about the impact of grades on your future professional school application, please consult with a HPPLC preprofessional advisor. If you have questions about your eligibility to apply the ‘Extended-X’ policy to a particular course, please consult with an advisor in your major/school.