<p>Don't let your student wait until next week. You don't want UVA to think that s/he is procrastinating -- it doesn't help the case at all. It shouldn't take long at all for your student to sit down and compose a letter explaining the D+. If the grade was truly the result of a single test, then that's an excellent way to start.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that UVA wants your student there, but that it cannot afford to have students who get good grades only when they have tangible reasons to do so (like getting into college). A top school wants students who are there for the learning and who earn top grades because they are passionate about the subject matter. Students who slack off senior year might be those who party too hard, or who care about grades only when they "matter," or who are already burned out. UVA does not know your child, so that child needs to convince the Dean that s/he doesn't fall into the above categories. An explanation such as, "I made a huge mistake by not studying for a test, and I received an F. Although afterward I realized how irresponsible I was, it was too late to make up for the error," might make the difference.</p>
<p>Good luck to you and your child! Let us know what happens.</p>
<p>Can't write until next week, as kid is away and no printer is available. Of course composing is going on with ink. It will go out Tues or Wed.</p>
<p>I think it's hard for kids to get the "love of learning" attitude with so many required courses, etc. except in their majors and closely related subjects or interesting electives with great teaching profs (a rarity at any school, and especially at major research universities). I'd love to go back now for learning rather than to play the "getting the grades" game. Getting a good job or grad school is a great motivator, so hopefully that will help with the dreaded "distribution requirements". The major will be done for love of learning.</p>
<p>Good luck to you and your child! What a nightmare :(</p>
<p>Frankly, I'm surprised that a highschool teacher would give a kid a D+ for the last semester, knowing that the kid could possibly have their admission rescinded. I'm not saying that kids should be able to slack off, but Geez, that's COLD....</p>
<p>WorryWartMan: For once, I'll agree with you on the "love of learning". I hate hate hated taking a language in high school, and although it was good for me, I don't think I would've survived two years of it in college. I guess they want us to come out really well rounded, which is good. I think they're trying to avoid kids taking only one or two subjects, which I agree with because kids may find an unknown passion that way. However, for those who have many interests, I feel like it bogs them down because they want to take the 4 subjects they love and want to have equal time in all 4 during their first two years (since the next two are for a major), but are pressured into taking others because of reqs. So, maybe they should outline 7-8 reqs, and make kids chose 4-5 and take a certain number of classes in that area. Or give them a "free" req, and out of the 7-8 reqs, they can omit one and replace it by doubling with another req (say you don't want to take the language, but would like to double on the non-western perspective class)</p>
<p>Good luck to your daughter. If I were here, I'd be tearing myself up inside, and she sounds like the kind of person who would do the same. Just remind her that yes, she made a potentially life-altering mistake, and it was her fault only. But, allow her to grow from this, and this will end up being the best thing to happen to her. Point out that UVA isn't kicking her out, but merely is lending a helping hand and is trying to make sure she is on the right track in life. I promise you that come move-in day, she will have forgotten all about this trouble, but when a situation of temptation vs work comes up, you can be sure she'll remember this then, and hopefully will chose wisely :)</p>
<p>Give the child a D+? I believe it's the child EARNED the D+, not the teacher being mean! My son was very laid back in high school.....just didn't care. Sr. year and English rolls around. His teacher had to tell him the very last day, he failed his exam by 2 points and wouldn't graduate. Should the teacher have just GIVEN him the 2 points? The teacher did the right thing. Though it cost son six months of his life, he got a B+ second time around and on with his life.</p>
<p>Intelligent kids who have been restricted to taking the course sequence in their high schools feel liberated when they get to college -- and they want to take more classes than is possible, just because everything (finally!) sounds interesting. One exception: engineering students miss out on most of this because of the rigid curriculum. Most other majors get to branch out.</p>
<p>If I were that teacher, I would have given him twenty-four hours to do a special assignment to get those two points back. Maybe he could have corrected the exam the next day, in front of her. Or something. </p>
<p>I firmly believe in the earning of grades, but two points seems like a too-slender margin for a graduating senior.</p>
<p>WWM....I think you still miss the admissions process. You make statements that perhaps a less challenging courseload would guarantee better grades for the final transcript. Part of admissions IS looking at the rigors of courseload taken AND the courses in which one is currently enrolled. Had a student taken an easy SR. year, because of grades, distractions, whatever, good chance, schools on the caliber of UVA would not have offer acceptances. UVA turns down so many candidates with excellents grades, test scores, EC's whatever. Not that the D is life altering, BUT it does make admissions somewhat second guess. Did the letter even mention rescind or was it inferred?</p>
<p>Inferred. The words were "we can not finalize your admission until we receive a satisfactory explanation" , or something very similar.</p>
<p>Regarding the two points - that kid would have done anything for those 2 points. What a great motivator to learn something by writing a paper on something in the subject that he would have remembered much longer than any test answers.</p>
<p>momray, you are a much better person than I am, because if a teacher told my son that he had failed an end of course exam by 2 points costing him 6 months of his life (unless he was a totall screw up and deserved it for continuous year long bad efforts and not just second semester senior year slacking) I would be a bit angry...</p>
<p>Oh, and I think a D+ (which to me seems hair breath away from a C-) is much different than an F!</p>
<p>I guess we've just been blessed with teachers who have a soul...</p>
<p>Pet peeve - the letter implied that the kid's acceptance could be rescinded. The parents inferred from the letter's content that he could lose his spot.</p>
<p>in my school if you got a D it no longer counted as an honors course and you'd get the 1.0 on your GPA. if you failed because you did not try you actually got a -1.0 on your GPA. teachers really did not want you to get anything below a C, and would give you some kind of extra credit opportunity if you just went to them (you know, not a week before the quarter ended...) and explained that you wanted to do well, or whatever. its the same in college though too, to an extent, you know? most professors will find some kind of fluff grade to give you so you don't get a D if you're going to office hours and trying.</p>
<p>The grades came about a week after graduation. No chance to do anything by then - of course we would have if possible. The final was supposed to help but it didn't. Too late by then. Bascially, an unpleasant surprise.</p>
<p>"The reaction to the arrival of these letters (bomb going off) is similar to our reaction when we see Cs or Ds on transcripts from students who had three and a half years of As and Bs when we got their transcipts in January."</p>
<p>Hey Dean J. </p>
<p>Don't you think this is just a little bit santimonious "Deanspeak"? Do you really have the same reaction when you see a transcript with C's or D's that you would have if you got a letter from the President of UVA saying:
"Dear Dean J: Your publication number has gone down from 5 to 4 last year, and you had one publication rejected. Please send me a letter explaining this to my satisfaction, or we can't continue your appointment in September"</p>
<p>Sliding grades at the end of senior year shouldn't even reflect poorly on a student. It's clear if they got into UVA (or any other college) that they are capable and hard working. Having fun and slacking at the end of high school in no way equates to slacking in college...</p>
<p>Also, Precalc was a pretty dumb class. I got a B in it and then straight A's in AP Calc.</p>
<p>IMO, you made a good point, SigmaCentauri...And it may not really be slacking...Sometimes you get a hs teacher who's a hard marker in a challenging course (i.e., AP/IB physics) and just does not give high grades unless the student is exceptional...</p>
<p>my senior year i was taking calc bc in school (because... it was an ap and my class was really close and what else would i have taken - but i already had credit for calc 2 through a class i took the summer before), and i was also taking calc 3 at nights in the spring semester. basically by the 4th quarter i was pretty fed up with calc bc since it didnt matter for anything (not ap credit, it was the 4th quarter and i would pass even if i failed the quarter, etc). so, the last quarter i got a 58 on the first test...</p>
<p>obviously it was because i decided not to care. but if you think my final quarter grade was anything but a B then you are wrong. i actually studied for the next test (and... we only had 2 tests, plus hw counted as a test thankfully - well assuming you did your hw, and i was smart enough to know that doing hw was the smart thing to do even if i did not study for the first test) and got an A on it. so i really have no patience for when people say they have slacked off in the last quarter because of this experience.</p>
<p>in the meantime, i had over a 100 average in my calc 3 class. pretty much, i thought high school grading was stupid (still do; i had an a in calc 2 and an a in calc 3 at college but a b in both ab and bc calc in high school... hrm something does not add up). but that did not make me end up with a d or even a c. i owed more to uva than that.</p>
<p>even these stupid classes that i take just to transfer, that i only need a c in... i have never ended up with anything but an a in any of them. granted, i dont have to kill myself for the a like i would at uva (i take classes at villanova and a local community college) but i still work harder than i theoretically have to.</p>
<p>this just illustrates both sides of the point:
1. sliding grades at the end of sr yr are not a reflection on the student's intelligence/work ethic in college
2. sliding grades at the end of sr yr, to the point of d's and f's, are unacceptable... because no one who was admitted by uva should respect themselves, their future alma mater, and their current classes so little.</p>
<p>
[quote]
IMO, you made a good point, SigmaCentauri...And it may not really be slacking...Sometimes you get a hs teacher who's a hard marker in a challenging course (i.e., AP/IB physics) and just does not give high grades unless the student is exceptional...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Our 3rd quarter grade in math (HL IB methods) was based on one test. I got a C. And I probably stayed up all night studying for it. No one asked me to explain it though, and it didn't really affect my final grade. You can be not exceptional and not get a D (C is technically average). Of course UVA probably wouldn't have accepted you if your midterm was a D, unless there were extenuating circumstances (and if this were the case anyway, then they wouldn't be asking for explanation now, so it's clearly not the case). It's hard to imagine how the teacher changed grading/the student became less exceptional mid-year. I am sympathetic to the OP's situation, really, no one wants to be in it, but this is how it is. They are extraordinarily clear, no uncertain terms, that the offer of admission given several months ago, is conditional. I understand life gets in the way. Really, I said it happened to me. Still, life getting in the way (and these were truly harrowing circumstances) brought me from an A to a B, not a D. I'm having a hard time saying UVA is in the wrong here. The general consensus is that a satisfactory explanation will solve the problem. </p>
<p>Contact the teacher or guidance counselor by email if you think they have anything to add. I do not advise that you say things like it was because of prom and other fun activities that should have taken precedence. It does not show good character, I am just being brutally honest here, that is the way it comes off to outsiders. Everyone worked hard, and everyone dealt with the end of senior year and their own lives too. I am really not trying to be mean but you do have to understand it for how it is. It isn't an excuse to you, because it is your life. It seems clear. However everyone else also has their own story and not everyone dropped the ball either. I pushed hard. I went to class when I couldn't stop crying, and then I sat 15 seperate IB papers for several weeks, while getting more homework and projects on top of it. I'm not trying to brag, I'm just saying. I'll be the first to say that it takes all kinds and not everyone is like me. However I'll also be the first to say UVA didn't accept a whole lot of kids who weren't like me. Clearly, they don't want them, because coursework and grades are NUMBER ONE in UVA admissions. When final transcripts come back poor, the message that sends to UVA is, what's going on here? We don't want weak links, these x amount of people held up their end of the bargain despite their unique circumstances, so what's going on here? And they are giving you a chance to explain, hoping that the circumstances are satisfactory. They probably are.</p>