Hello, all–
I was recently notified that I have been dismissed from my college (would rather not disclose the name) on account of having a GPA that failed to meet the school’s standards. Below I am posting the letter I have written and intend to appeal with. All of the information I included is true, and I can elaborate on it if necessary.
Do I go into more detail about my condition, as it is one that I have had for years, but only recently became unmanageable for me? Do I express a more solid plan for what I plan to do if I am readmitted?
I really love my school and would do absolutely anything to be able to go back. I did not anticipate this happening and feel as though my life is coming to a dead end if I am not reinstated.
Thank you in advance for the feedback.
Dear Dr. _______,
On the morning of Thursday, June 9th, I received a letter of academic dismissal from X College. I am fully aware that my grades, especially those of the Spring 2016 semester, have been unsatisfactory and have failed to meet the standards put forth by X. This is entirely my own fault, and I take full responsibility. I write this letter to explain the cause for this situation, and to request reinstatement for the Fall 2016 semester.
My poor grades are not the result of intellectual incapability or failure to prioritize coursework. Instead, they are the product of my taking on a course load that was too rigorous for my current situation, combined with debilitating anxiety that began to severely impact my academics. In the Fall 2015 semester, I elected to take General Biology 1, First Year Seminar, General Chemistry 1, and Calculus IA as a Biology major. I had not done as well as I had hoped in those courses, in spite of my putting forth maximum individual effort. When these efforts appeared fruitless, I resolved to cut out nearly all non-academic obligations and improve my methods of studying for the following semester, believing that I was simply not working in a way that was fit for my coursework’s requisites.
At the beginning of the Spring 2016 semester, my reinvented study methods and streamlined focus proved effective. Such alterations included better management of time and reduction of distractions while doing work. However, this feat did not last, for I quickly found myself falling behind in nearly all of my classes. I elected to take the supplements to the courses I had taken in the fall, believing that they would not be much different from or more difficult than the ones I had previously taken. I was foolish to think this, seeing as the amount of work I was faced with nearly doubled. I spent nearly every waking minute doing schoolwork, but to no avail. Gradually, I found myself being physically and mentally incapable of focusing on the tasks at hand, and eventually realized that I was having difficulty proceeding with even the daily tasks in life. I considered dropping one or two of my courses so as to be able to focus on fewer tasks at once, but I stubbornly believed that I would be able to overcome the mental barriers I was being faced with. When I realized that my entire existence was being pervaded by persistent feelings of angst and that I was having extreme difficulty functioning, I sought assistance from the school’s counseling center. (Three times between the dates of April 13th and May 1st, I met with Counselor Name.) Unfortunately, I began pursuing this path more than halfway through the semester, at which point it may have been too late to make a significant turnaround on my academic progress. However, the counselor did officially diagnose me with severe anxiety, and I am currently in the process of speaking with my primary physician to acquire medication for this condition.
In addition to the above circumstances, I received an “Incomplete” grade for the First Year Seminar 101 course. I have, since the end of the spring semester, submitted the necessary work and am awaiting a final grade for this course. I expect this grade to raise my GPA for the semester.
I have certainly failed to demonstrate my best effort at X College this past academic year, and, as stated previously, take full responsibility for my own failure. However, with improvement in my mental health, as well as an exact idea of what I must do in order to succeed academically while still maintaining a healthful lifestyle, I believe that I can still find academic success at X. If given the opportunity to return to X, I plan to change my major from Biology to something more appropriate for my skill level and future goals, to avoid piling on courses that, when combined with other challenging courses, become overwhelming, and to take full advantage of the academic support services offered on campus. I intend to continue to utilize the services provided by the counseling center, and I can be reached at Phone Number between the hours of 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM on weekdays.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and truly hope that I will be granted a second chance to prove myself worthy of attending X.