Grading Information

View the full grading policies in the College Catalog.

2024-25 Grading Deadlines

Fall 2024

Grading period: Monday, December 9 at 7:00 a.m through Wednesday, December 18 at 5:00 p.m.

  • The last day to drop a course with a "W" grade is Friday, December 6 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Incomplete revised grade due to the Registrar's Office: Friday, December 27 at 4:00 p.m.

Spring 2025

Grading period: Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 a.m. through Monday, May 12 at 11:59 p.m.

  • SENIOR GRADES DUE: Thursday, May 8 at 1:00 p.m.
  • Senior Deadline to revert Pass grades: Thursday, May 8 at 5:00 p.m.
  • Faculty grades due for non-seniors: Monday, May 12 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Incomplete revised grade due to the Registrar's Office: Friday, May 23 at 4:00 p.m.

See answers to frequently asked questions about grades below.

Pass/No Pass Grades

The Pass/Fail option was discontinued after the Summer 2023 term. From Fall 2023 onward, students have the option to take courses with a grade of Pass/No Pass rather than a letter grade. Students may have a total of 4.0 credits of coursework with an elected grade of P or NP, including courses taken under the previous Pass/Fail policy.

Students who earn a grade between A and D- will have the grade posted as P (pass) on their transcript. A grade of F will appear on the transcript as NP (no pass). Grade of P and NP are not included in the GPA calculations. 

The Pass/No Pass registration deadline for each term is available on the Academic Calendar.

How do I register to take a course Pass/No Pass?

Submit the Pass/No Pass registration form in my.lakeforest under Students > Student Forms. View instructions here.

Check the Academic Calendar for the Pass/No Pass registration deadline for each term.

How do I check on the status of my Pass/No Pass request?

In your my.lakeforest account, navigate to Students > Student Forms. Find the "Registrar Forms Submission Status" section. The Stage column tells you whether the form is with your advisor or the Registrar's Office. The Status column tells you whether it has been processed and if it has been approved or rejected.

Pass/No Pass requests will be rejected by the Registrar's Office if you already have met the limit of 4.0 credits of Pass/No Pass coursework. See below for more information.

Which courses can I take as Pass/No Pass?

Any courses taken for Forester Fundamental Curriculum, General Education Curriculum requirements, or electives can be taken Pass/No Pass, up to the limit of 4 total credits. 

Students should discuss with their advisor if they are thinking of taking any courses Pass/No Pass. Each major or minor has different Pass/No Pass requirements and limitations. Please consult with your advisor and check your major’s requirements page for Pass/No Pass policies. A link to each department/program page is available here. 

How many Pass/No Pass grades am I allowed to have?

Students may have up to 4 credits of elected Pass/No Pass  coursework (grades of P or NP) on their transcript at any time. This total includes courses taken Pass/No Pass in previous terms and courses registered as Pass/No Pass for the current term.

Reverting a Pass/No Pass grade removes that credit from your total of 4.

This total of 4 credits does not include:

  • Courses graded Pass/No Pass by default, such as internships, ECON 129, COLL 150, etc.
  • Any courses with Pass/No Pass grades taken in the Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and/or Spring 2021 semesters.
How do I check how many courses I've taken Pass/No Pass?

Look at your unofficial transcript in my.lakeforest. Scroll to the bottom of the page to view the PDF version.

Any course with a CR Type of "UG" and a grade of "P" or "NP" is a course you have elected to take Pass/No Pass. A course with a CR Type of "P" is graded Pass/No Pass by default and does not count toward your Pass/No Pass limit.

Students may choose take up to 4.0 credits of coursework as Pass/No Pass. Courses taken under the previous Pass/Fail policy in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, or Spring 2021 do not count toward this limit of 4.0 credits.

I took a course Pass/No Pass. How do I see my original letter grade?

Original letter grades are found in my.lakeforest under Students > My Grades > My Pre-Grade Report.

I took a course Pass/No Pass. How do I switch it back to the letter grade?

Submit the Pass/No Pass Reversion Form in my.lakeforest under Students > Student Forms. View instructions here.

Can I see what my GPA will be before I revert a Pass/No Pass grade?

Yes!

Students: Use the "Pass-Fail Potential GPA" tool in my.lakeforest under Students > Registrar Forms.

Advisors: Use the "Pass-Fail Potential GPA" tool in my.lakeforest under Faculty > Academic Reports.

This tool is only available for courses taken in Spring 2021 and later.

Course Withdrawal

If you want to remove a course from your current schedule after the add/drop deadline has passed, you need to submit a course withdrawal request. 

The course withdrawal deadline for each term is available on the Academic Calendar

How do I withdraw from a course?

Submit the course withdrawal form in my.lakeforest under Students > Student Forms. View instructions here.

How do I check the status of my course withdrawal request?

In your my.lakeforest account, navigate to Students > Student Forms. Find the "Registrar Forms Submission Status" section. The Stage column tells you whether the form is with your advisor or the Registrar's Office. The Status column tells you whether it has been processed and if it has been approved or rejected.

What is a course withdrawal?

A course withdrawal is different from dropping a course from your schedule. A withdrawn course is still listed on your transcript with a grade of W (withdrawn). This is to show that you were officially enrolled in the course, but withdrew after the add/drop deadline for the term.

Withdrawn courses still count toward your attempted credit total for the term, and tuition refunds are not available if a withdrawal drops a student below full-time status (3.0 - 4.5 credits). 

Check in with your advisor to discuss your options if you need to withdraw from a course. Residential students should also speak with their residence director and student-athletes should speak with their coaches if a course withdrawal drops them to part-time status (below 3.0 credits).

What will a withdrawal look like on my transcript?

All course withdrawal requests receive an automatic W grade. A grade of W does not count toward your GPA, but it shows that you were officially enrolled in the course. 

The WF (withdrawal - failure) grade has been discontinued as of the 2022-23 academic year. All withdrawal requests from Summer 2022 onward receive an automatic W grade.

Viewing Your Grades

How do I view my final grades?

Current students can view their final grades in my.lakeforest under Students > My Grades:

  • Grades by Term allows you to view one particular semester/term.
  • Unofficial Transcript allows you to see your entire academic history. Use the PDF link at the bottom of the page for a printer-friendly format.
Why can't I view my final grades?

Students who do not submit course evaluations for all their current courses will have a hold placed on their account. This hold blocks students from viewing their grades until the day after final grades are due. Please see the grading deadlines above for more information.

When will my grades be posted?

Please see the grading deadlines above. All final grades will be posted by the grading deadline.

Incomplete Grades

What is an Incomplete?

An I (Incomplete) grade may be assigned at the request of a student who, because of illness or some other reason beyond the student’s control, has not completed the work of the course by the end of the term.

Incompletes are transcript grades; the “I” grade stays recorded on the transcript even after the final letter grade is assigned by the instructor (for example, an “IB” indicates the Incomplete has been resolved and the final grade is B).

How do I request an Incomplete grade?

Contact your course instructor and ask for an Incomplete. Once you have discussed the details, including what you will need to submit and when your work is due, the instructor will fill out and submit the Incomplete Form (in my.lakeforest under Faculty > My Courses).

I completed the coursework for my Incomplete. Why is there still an I grade on my transcript?

Incompletes are transcript grades; the “I” grade stays recorded on the transcript even after the final letter grade is assigned by the instructor (for example, an “IB” indicates the Incomplete has been resolved and the final grade is B).

What is an X (Condition) grade?

An instructor can assign a grade of  X (Condition) to a student who was passing up to the time of a final examination or paper, which allows the student to repeat that work.  If the work is satisfactorily completed the X is converted to a D (+ or – may be included), otherwise it becomes an F.

Conditions are transcript grades; the “X” grade stays recorded on the transcript even after the final letter grade is assigned by the instructor (for example, an “XD” indicates the Condition has been resolved and the final grade is D).

Information for Faculty

How do I submit final grades?

Submit final grades in my.lakeforest. Please see the Online Grading Guide for more details.

Where do I find the final exam schedule?

See the exam schedule here.

Use the Course Slot Designations handout to see which slot your class is in.