Readmission appeal help!

College Essays
1

Hi there!
I’m a new user and I wondering if I can get some feedback and critics on my readmission appeal?
My rewritten petition must address the following questions and reproduce the questions as headings in my written petition.

What readmission after dismissal requirement(s) has not been met? Why haven’t they been met?
My low GPA failed to meet the readmission after dismissal requirement.

Explain why you believe an exception should be made for you?
I recognize that I did not do my best during my time at KU, but I am more confident that with more dedication, focus, discipline, hardwork, and persistence I have the potential to improve my academic standing. I accept that not enough effort was put into my academics, but I will enforce all my willpower to improve my academics if given a chance. My mindset has and will always been on succeeding and it would mean so much to me to graduate from the University of Kansas, which would make me the first person in my family to complete a college degree.

What documented extreme or unusual circumstances should be taken into consideration that prevented you from doing well at KU and/or during your time away from KU?
I have no documentation that should be taken into consideration that prevented me from doing well, nor do I mean to make excuses for my unsatisfactory academic performance. I accept that I am at fault.

What steps do you plan on taking to improve your academics at KU if you were allowed to be readmitted or remain at KU? Please be specific.
The steps that I plan on taking to improve my academics at KU if I were allowed to be readmitted at KU will be as follows:
• Meet and get to know my advisor, build a strong interactive communication to keep track on my degree requirements, communicate about the important milestones during my time at KU

• Visit the Math Help Center, Writing Center, Tutor Center, and the Library frequently

• Improve my study habits, meet with classmates for study sessions,

• Plan to retake the classes that I earned less than a C like Principles of Biology, Percalculus Mathematics, and Calculus 1

• Communicate and meet with my professors on a regular basis, during their office hours for a better understanding of the material and help on homework/classwork

• Focus more on my academics by learning how to manage my time wisely that is, using a day planner to write my academic priorities. Those being my study hours for each class, homework, reading, and extra help, meeting with my advisor, and meeting with my professors.

If approved, you will need to earn at least a 2.50 KU term GPA. Please tell us the specific grades you plan on earning in the classes you hope to enroll in.
If I am approved, I plan to earn A’s and B’s. I will strive to earn grades no lower than a C and strive to earn and maintain a GPA above the required 2.50 GPA.

2

Did you speak to people at the university about this before you put together the appeal?

Could you speak to their counseling center first, at least?

Any chance you can talk to some professors and get them to “sponsor you” - write letters on your behalf?

Also, have you considered taking classes unmatriculated, to show that you can get better grades?

Finally, can you determine why you failed each class? Even if you accept responsibility for your failures, you need to recognize what you need to improve on, like scheduling and reminders of work due.

Good luck on your appeal!

3

Thank you very much on your feedback

4

I have also started on my readmission appeal letter as part of the answers to the questions:

Subject: Request for Appeal of Dismissal
Dear Committee:
I am writing to appeal my academic dismissal from the University of Kansas. I was not surprise, but very disappointed to receive a dismissal letter due to my failure in maintaining an adequate GPA.
I recognized that I have made the mistake of not doing all my best, not seeking for help when needed, not giving my studies enough attention, not giving my classes enough studying hours, and letting my fear to ask for help prevent me from understanding the class material. I admit that not focusing entirely on my studies affected my GPA. I have failed to maintain a good academic standing, but I assure you that my GPA that led to my dismissal does not indicate that I am a bad student. I am determine to demonstrate that I can improve my academics.
I would like to ask for a second chance to prove that I can succeed at the University. I am confident that I can succeed by putting in action my plans I have described.
Thank you for taking your time to review my petition.
Sincerely,

5

.

I think your letter could be shortened. I don’t think anyone thinks that the student getting Ds in college classes is someone who has a mind set on succeeding. If you were already doing the best you could, how can you improve? I would remove that part.
The second letter is better.

6

Thanks for the feed back

7

You’re not answering their questions.

Both you and the university know you screwed up, they don’t need a long boring essay repeating it.

Now, they want to know how is it going to change? Your appeal lacks earnest attempts to change your previous behaviors. You’ve done nothing proactively to change anything. For example:

• Meet and get to know my advisor, build a strong interactive communication to keep track on my degree requirements, communicate about the important milestones during my time at KU.

^^^^^^^This is bad if you don’t know who you advisor is, it means you haven’t bothered to find out in the whole amount of time you’ve been there!
One line: “I’ve scheduled bimonthly meetings with Professor Ludwig on Thursdays at 4 pm in meeting room 245, to review …”

• Visit the Math Help Center, Writing Center, Tutor Center, and the Library frequently
^^^^^^^^^^^Frequently? I went to those places “frequently” to meet up with friends. This tells them you’ve made no effort to schedule anything. When are your appointments. With who? Which rooms have been reserved? What will be the focus for each?

• Improve my study habits, meet with classmates for study sessions. ??? How?

• Communicate and meet with my professors on a regular basis, during their office hours for a better understanding of the material and help on homework/classwork.

^^^^^^^^^^^^When are their typical office hours?, Which professors, from last term, have agreed to meet with you? How is it implemented into your calendar?

• Focus more on my academics by learning how to manage my time wisely that is, using a day planner to write my academic priorities. Those being my study hours for each class, homework, reading, and extra help, meeting with my advisor, and meeting with my professors.

^^^^^^Only a day planner? How can they confirm you will be doing this?

Please tell us the specific grades you plan on earning in the classes you hope to enroll in.

If I am approved, I plan to earn A’s and B’s. I will strive to earn grades no lower than a C and strive to earn and maintain a GPA above the required 2.50 GPA.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This tells them that nothing is going to change.
Answer their question:
In calc3, I will earn a B+ or better (according to the tutoring center staff projections).
In English205, I will attempt an A, based on the writing center’s review of my previous assignments.

In chemistry 10a, the grades are split into two categories, so the lab grade of an “A”, should help my projected “B”.

So in your original letter, you have not done “squat” other than write a few lines. This dismissal is a serious consequence, that you are not considering in a serious responsible manner. Or, do you not want to return?

Keep your appeal short, factual and truthful. Now is not the time to go into excuses. They will check to see if you’ve really set up your appointments for the semester, so you had better know some of the names of the staff and they’d better know you. If you can’t do any of the above, then you are not ready to return to a university setting.

8

@“aunt bea” said it perfectly. You’ve written your responses as a concession to the university and you seem almost nonchalant about it. Saying something is not the same as doing it and showing initiative.

9

I understand and I really appreciated your feedback @“aunt bea”. I will use your feedback and revise my petition and post a revision.

10

My petition must address the questions as headings for clarity sake, but how can I incorporate them in my petition letter without my petition being too long?

11

Should be no more than a page.

I would suggest you do It in outline style

Center your name and school ID in header, email address at the top of the page. Do a one line description of how you will address each of the presented prompts, for reinstatement, and thank them for the opportunity to appeal. That’s it.

Call it a plan of action, or something along those lines, with your name repeated again and the current semester/year.

Then address each question by using simple sentence answers in bullets with relevant key dates, professor emails, extensions of tutors, libraries, etc. much like a resume.

Then, thank them and tell them that you can address each point in detail at a later date, in person or in writing, if they would like further clarification.

It needs to be concise, professional, sincere, and to-the-point.

They get many petitions with lots of sad-eye excuses and defensive tones. Yours has to stand out as proactive and reflect why you are worth keeping. Understand now???

12

Oh and don’t post it, have someone on your end read it. If the writing center is open, go to them.
Don’t post it on here so that someone else can copy. You’ll be charged with some sort of plagiarism!
Have a parent or someone read it.

13

Yes, thank you.

14

Okay got it, thanks a lot for the help.