Hey everyone. I’m currently petitioning to retroactively drop a class due to having missed the official drop date because of military obligations. I’m currently serving in the Marine Corps Reserves and I was out of state because of drill the weekend my college had placed it’s deadline for dropping classes. Aside from presenting my college with my Orders and any other relevant military documentation, how could I word my formal statement to best explain my reasoning for dropping the course.
Also, dropping the course would significantly improve my GPA for the semester as well, and would help me with receiving financial aid.
I wouldn’t be. At least not without a lot of begging and pleading. Drop dates are generally listed in the academic calendar. I’m unaware of a single college that springs the date as a surprise.
The school announced and enforced the drop date in the time period you were out of state? Drop dates are usually in the school calendar months or years in advance.
With the particular class I was taking, I was hoping to bring my grades up but it seemed I wouldn’t have been able to do much to save myself from getting below a C, so I planned on dropping the class pretty last minute. The problem is, I mixed up the dates for the deadline and I thought it was going to be the weekend after I had drill; however, it was the weekend that I had drill and I didn’t realize my mistake until after the fact.
Well, not a strong case since you had months of advance knowledge and given your mix-up on dates, it sounds like you wouldnt have dropped it then even if you were on campus. Lots of kids go away for a weekend but manage to observe the drop date. Maybe a lot of begging and plead the scholarship issue, but I rather doubt it.
There is a meaningful difference between going out of town for an optional frat weekend or quick ski vacation vs. a required Marine corps drill. And I’m hoping that OP’s Dean sees it that way.
I agree…but also the drill weekends are rarely, if ever, a surprise. All the reservists I know have their drill weekend schedule months out. I’m not unsympathetic, and hope the OP gets their exemption- but I also hope that s/he owns- at least to themselves- that planning to do things last minute and not double checking your timetable is a mistake they shouldn’t repeat.
A valuable lesson for sure. A lesson in anticipating deadlines, making time for the A priorities (studying, making sure your grades don’t drop below a certain level no matter how overloaded with other things you are), a lesson in timely communications with the administration and knowing/following the rules. But I’m hoping for a bit of grace here.
I am sympathetic and hope it works out but this translates into your military service commitment was irrelevant as you had mixed up the date and wouldn’t have acted before the deadline, not that you couldn’t access the means to drop based on service.
Stated differently if you didn’t “realize the mistake until after the fact” all other circumstances become somewhat irrelevant.
I hope they cut you a break but to improve your chances you may want to reconsider how you present your case.
This is mainly about an extenuating circumstance for the withdrawal deadline. Some schools will be lenient, some won’t, and I think other factors may be relevant: your previous record, the advocacy of an advisor or dean, and how you might avoid this in the future.