Hello. I was dismissed from my University for my poorly grades and GPA. Although, I was given the chance to appeal it. Please leave your advice on what I need to improve.
You need to ask YOUR university what you need to do to get reinstated. You didn’t make satisfactory academic progress…so you have to find out what to do at your college to do this.
Clearly, you will somehow need to demonstrate to this college that you have a very solid plan for improving your grades. Not sure what that entails at your college…
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Did you face any personal challenges last year? If yes, have those issues been resolved?
Is this college not an academic fit?
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Time for some self-reflection-- what do you think you need to improve?
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I’ll add…you need to ask yourself why your grades were so poor that you were dismissed. Finding out the reason…and having a plan to correct that is way more important than just getting reinstated at the college.
Typically, one isn’t suspended after one poor semester (unless you failed everything second semester). Usually, you get put on probation first and then if things don’t turn around, you are dismissed. Is this what happened to you?
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Dear Dean ____ and Committee,
My name is _________ , and I am currently a freshman attending _________ . I am seeking to appeal against my suspension from ________. This past year has been very challenging which has caused me to lose my focus for my education during my short time at this illustrious university that has caused me to do poorly, and my grades and GPA suffered as a result. I was aware that my grades were falling drastically and my attendance was dismal; Thus, I knew that it would jeopardize my academic status. Nonetheless, the dismissal letter was unforeseen and served as an ample reality check.
In Fall of 2022, my grandmother passed away which took a major toll on me and my mental and physical health. Her loss was extremely hard for me which I became depressed and lost motivation, and instead of seeking support from my friends and family about the circumstances, I unfortunately kept it all bottled in. I started missing classes, assignments, and overall enthusiasm for learning. At the beginning of Spring semester, I started journaling which allowed me to regain some motivation and barely complete the semester without failing outrightly. However, things worsened in the following semester in January when I tested positive for Covid, which affected my physical health extensively, and most significantly my mental health, especially after a close friend of mine sudden passed away also during the semester. I lost all my motivation to learn and was chronically depressed; Thus, my education slumped entirely.
Since it was my first year of college I didn’t realize how important it is to advocate for myself when I am put into difficult situations. I now realize that I let these challenges get in the way of my education and instead of seeking ways to overcome them I relied on them as an excuse for failing out of classes. I recognized that my grandmother’s death kickstarted a slippery slope. As the challenges increased over the cause of the Fall and Spring semester, I let my education slip further away. I would have contacted my professors and informed them of my prevailing circumstances, but I did not. I would also have pursued the services of the school counselor, but I also did not. I now understand that I would have been better off seeking professional advice and cultivating stronger bonds with friends and family instead of mulling over my problems when I needed them the most, which only caused me to be depressed.
My first step to improving my grades, if reinstated, will be to set aside a structed, consistent time on a daily basis to be used for studying and doing homework. The main action I will take is to meet with my therapist/counselor that I have been seeking help from this summer weekly, which has had a great impact on me! I plan on attending tutoring two days out the week studying and going over the material that was taught in class. I will take full advantage of the academic advising resources from my advisor to ensure that my academic curriculum stays on track. I will meet with my advisor weekly throughout the semester and stay in contact with my advisor to receive updates on my process.
This is what I have wrote, I was just going to add my closing paragraph with a few sentences. Any thing I should change or add?
Yes.
My opinion. Your letter is way too long. The missing link for me is that you have not yet shown that you can do well in college courses. Some schools will expect a student to take a couple of community college courses, for example, with very good grade outcomes.
This timeline has me confused. Didn’t your spring semester start in January?
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Yes. Spring semester started January 5th.
I agree with @thumper1. Your letter is too long, and you need to focus on what you are going to do differently if reinstated.
I’d suggest:
Dear Dean ____ and Committee,
My name is _________ , and I am currently a freshman attending _________ . I am seeking to appeal against my suspension from ________.
In Fall of 2022, my grandmother passed away which took a major toll on me. Things worsened further in the following semester when I tested positive for Covid, which affected my physical health extensively, and most significantly my mental health, especially after a close friend of mine sudden passed away also during the semester.
Then I’d briefly state that you realize you should have reached out for help much sooner but you are have been working with a therapist all summer.
The bulk of your letter should be your plan for success if reinstated - continuing to see your therapist along with tutors, advising, meeting with your professors, reaching out for more help etc…
Good luck to you!
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I just sent you a message.