Is "withdrawing" from Law School the same as "not graduating"?

It is to me. Let’s see what other people say.

I think it is. But can “not graduating” also mean “still at school” while “withdrawing” mean “no longer at school”?

^^I don’t think so. If you are still at school you would say you haven’t graduated yet. Not graduating, is not getting the degree.

@longgone Can you provide the sentence or paragraph for context?

Not necessarily. The difference to me is that withdrawl implies that the individual concerned chooses to exit. “Did not graduate” is more ominous, because it is vague and leaves the reasons up for speculation. While “withdrawl” might be the cause for “did not graduate”, other less palatable explanations can be tossed into that wide basket. Things such as failure or expulsion.

So withdrawing is the reason the individual “did not graduate.”

Not graduating seems to imply that you might come back to graduate at a later time.

Withdrawing is, essentially, abandoning your effort with no degree.

It depends on the rules for your university. The one I attended withdrawing from the university just meant you were either leaving for good or taking a leave of absence. If you wanted to return you did not have to reapply, you could start where you left off provided the “book” for your degree had not changed. After more than one semester of not registering for courses you were automatically withdrawn. Not graduating means “not graduating” for any number of reasons.

Withdrawing and not graduating has same end result = no degree. I just take “withdrawing” to mean that you have no intentions of trying to graduate, whereas “not graduating” means you might continue in the near future, or for some reason, you screwed up and are not able to graduate (maybe owing money before you can get the diploma might be an example).

“Not graduating” means just that—not graduating. “Withdrawal,” however, is a technical term and an official action that is reflected on one’s transcripts. It is the official act of leaving a school (temporarily or permanently). So withdrawal leads to not graduating, but is technically not the same thing (though they are close enough that the difference is only of formal importance).

Note that one can also withdraw from a class, which is always permanent. Again, this is an official act and is separate from dropping a class or no longer attending.

Withdrawing from school is a subset of not graduating. Withdrawal explains (to the extent that that single word can) “why” the person did not graduate, but it’s just one of many reasons why a person did not graduate, which may include “flunked out”, “expelled”, “arrested and jailed”, died”, etc.

Withdrawing means someone left before graduating, either temporarily or permanently. So if it’s permanent, then yes, they did not graduate. If it’s temporary, it’s entirely possible that the person went back eventually and graduated. I went through a formal process to withdraw from college for medical reasons, but I came back 15 months later and eventually graduated.

Thanks, all! Got it!

It’s quitting. Why on Earth would anyone who has survived one semester quit. It is a horrible road to travel but “withdrawing” is what they want when you are a 1L. They want to get rid of those who are quitters and not strong high achievers who will pass the bar the FIRST time.