<p>Hi, I am writing a college admissions appeal letter and I need someone to look it over and give me feedback on how to make it better to increase my chances of approval.</p>
<p>Here it is:</p>
<p>Dear Admissions committee,</p>
<p>I am writing this letter to appeal your decision not to admit me for the fall 2013. I was not surprised that I received a denial but just disappointed. I applied previously in spring 2012 but was denied because of not having enough credits nor the GPA. This time I know I was denied this time because of my GPA. It is with this letter after reading that I hope you reconsider.
Academics have never been easy for me. Even in elementary and middle school, I was bullied for not being as smart as the other kids and my teachers did not make things any better. I had a lot of self esteem issues and developed a very defeatist atitude. </p>
<p>Learning is hard for me because when it comes to writing, I have always had trouble expressing my thoughts on paper. I knew what I would want to say but it never could come out on paper the way I wanted. When reading it is hard for me to understand whatever I was reading the words never made sense in my head. I often tried to avoid reading and writing because of that. I often had trouble listen and following instructions because I could not fully mentally understand them. I never really got good grades in writing especially because I could not organize and I often went off topic. In math I had trouble counting without using my finger, doing math mental was and is extremely hard for me. My mother when I was in elementary tried tutor after tutor but nothing helped I was just seen as lazy and I felt stupid. In high school academics were still hard and the only reason I did fairly well is because I found a great teacher support system who counseled and constantly helped me. When I got to Salem my first college, I had a hard time academically particularly with foreign language and math. I tried tutor after tutor and I have always felt defeated and dumb, like something was wrong with me that feeling led me to just not try. I had not been diagnosed with the learning disability yet. That attitude was not helped by the lost of my mother who was my best friend to cancer in August 28 2010. I lost her a week after starting school on August 21 2010. I promised my mother I would get my degree no matter what and that I wouldn't give up, I also promised myself because I know it will get me what I want out of life and a better quality of life. After the lost my mother I shortly after had a mental breakdown which led me to be referred to a doctor who diagnosed me with bi polar disorder which did not make my academic situation any better, I would go to class but not really listen because all I could do is think about my mother and I was excluded shortly after.</p>
<p>In spring 2012 I was admitted to Georgia Perimeter College during which time at the end of that term I was referred by my disability coordinator at Georgia Perimeter Dunwoody to be tested for a learning disability. I was tested and diagnosed in May 2012 with a math and reading disability and re diagnosed with bi polar . Now all of the issues I had been having academically made sense. In my first semester I had to take a learning support course because I placed into it and I overloaded my self with five courses and my GPA suffered because I overloaded and was placed on academic warning. The learning support would prove to be my toughest challenge and the reason my grades would suffer.</p>
<p>My next semester in summer I learned my lesson and only took three classes but still failed the same two courses. I failed my math and history course that semester because even though I had been diagnosed with a learning disability I had not learned exactly how I learn and was still trying to too understand both my bi polar diagnosis and my learning disability and I ended up on probation. During my next semester in fall I passed my World History course and my art course because I had finally started to understand my reading disability and realized how I should approach reading. In the past I would read everything at once over a couple of days and I read fast and may read it a couple of times over but I was not retaining. During my fall semester in my world history course I realized that I had to approach reading in sections for example if I am given a story that is 10 to 15 pages long or even a short story. I have to approach reading by going 10 to 15 lines or even a page in and go over it and over again in hour to hour session, rest and go another hour to hour and go over the next 15 lines to a page. I realized that I really have to dissect a story from detail by detail and section by section to really understand a story and if there are words or something in the reading that are unclear I learned I had to just ask for clarification. I previously never asked for help because I felt shy and ashamed of my reading ability. But by using a dictionary for words I did not understand and writing detailed notes in outline form I was able to pass my World History course. During that same semester even though I passed my history course, I had not passed my math learning support I had learned an IP which is basically an F. Even though I had realized what to do to pass my history course and learned how I should approach reading for all courses involving reading, I had not realized how I should approach math. I also made the mistake of trying to take math online. But even though I did not pass math I had gotten on good standing status. This past semester in my spring 2013 I mainly focused on passing my learning support </p>
<p>and it finally hit me and I realized that everything is connected and just as I had learned to dissect a story I am reading, I have to dissect a math problem especially with factoring and algebraic expressions or and equation and even a word problem which are the topics in math that I had the most problem with. I realized that I had to dissect math piece by piece my professor this semester helped me realized just how to dissect a problem in a way that made sense to me and just as I had learned to do with my reading taking good detailed notes and asking for help is never something to be ashamed of. By passing my learning support class on my fourth attempt this semester I was able to keep my good standing. But even more important I gained a confidence in myself that I had never had before. When I passed my math learning support I was so happy because I had finally did it. I finally realized how I should approach math. What being diagnosed with a learning disability has made me realize is that my attitude about my learning and my learning abilities had to change and they have. I have a learning disability but that does not mean I am incapable of learning, it just makes learning harder for me. Before my diagnosis I never thought I was capable of A's and B's, but now that I have been diagnosed I have also changed my attitude. I know I am capable of A's and B's. I also realized that even though all my disorders are connected they don't have to hinder each other but instead exist within balance. This means just because I am bi polar and my depressive and maniac periods make it hard to focus and concentrate, it does not have to hinder my learning. I also understand that just because I have a learning disability, it does not make me dumb nor does it definite me. I am smart and always have been. I have overcome my insecurities about learning and I recognized how I learn which for me is a combination of visual and tactile. I have to visually see it and then physically do it and break the problem down piece by piece. What I have realized that I did not know before my diagnosis is that I let my feelings and insecurities, that I know now was just a fear of learning based on other people's opinions dictate to me how and if I learned. I now with a new confidence won't let people dictate my feelings about learning nor will I psych myself out. I take my academic career very seriously and I am determined to earn my degree not only because I made a promise to my mother but because I know a degree is the only way I can really get what I want out of life and to be successful. I want to become apart of Georgia State's family because I know its a beautiful community of people and I know it is a place I can thrive. I also will be majoring in film and I know Georgia State has one of the best film departments around.
Aside from academics, I am a community oriented person. I am involved in Race for the Cure, Feed the Hungry and Toys for Tots. I also when I was at Salem volunteered at a retirement home which taught me to not take anything in life for granted. I also volunteered at Winston-Salem's Riverrun Film festival.</p>
<p>If accepted after reconsideration the steps I will take to succeed are as follows:
1. Meet with my academic advisor everyday and very often
2. Make my academic plan
3. Follow the academic plan
4. Go to tutoring and ask for help often
5. Utilize the learning center
6. Meet with my disability advisor often</p>
<p>I will also go to counseling to keep my bi polar symptoms in check. I will do anything to succeed at Georgia State because I always wanted to be apart of the Georgia State community. I know that my cumulative GPA now is a 1.60 but I can get my GPA up and I will. I am a fighter and I never give up. With my new found confidence in myself and the balance I have found with managing my bi polar and overcoming my learning disability insecurities, I know that I can excel at Georgia State. I just want to be given the chance to prove it. Thank you for your time and consideration.</p>
<pre><code> Sincerely,
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