I am a filling out a transfer college application, and it has a section where it requires an explanation for disciplinary action. Since I’ve been academically dismissed from a previous university, how should I explain myself? Should I format it similar to a college essay? Or should I write something that is honest, short, sweet, and to the point? Thanks in advance!
I would keep it short and factual. However, were you dismissed from your most recent university? If so, you need to find out if the school you are applying to will accept you if you are not in good standing. If you have been to another university since you were dismissed from the first one, then hopefully you did well there and you should mention your success and how you have turned your academic life around.
Thank you for your reply. I’m currently attending a community college, and I’m doing well there. I was dismissed from a university I was attending before that. The required essay is open topic, so I planned to address how I bounced back from my short comings there.
Consider instead the additional information section of the Common App for explaining academic dismissal.
^ Right, I thought you were planning on adding in this info to the Common App. You can choose a better topic that this for an essay.
Oh, the application is on their website, not the common app. They have a section on their application where it asks whether or not one is in good standing with their previous colleges. If one checks yes, then they’ll require an explanation. @CheddarcheeseMN is that really a bad essay topic? I’ve kinda constructed an essay around that topic already. It explains what steps I took to improve my grade and how I grew.
I’m a little confused. I assumed “academically-dismissed” meant due to GPA problems. If that was the case, then you could write a good essay about how you have changed. Dismissed for disciplinary reasons – not something you want to emphasize.
Sorry for not being clear. There is a disciplinary section in the application, and in that section there is a question that asks whether or not I’m in good academic standing with my previous universities. Since I’m not, I’m required to explain why.
The essay portion is in a different section, and the topic is open format.
Instead of an essay, I guess I’m gonna explain why I’m not in good academic standing with a sentence or two in the disciplinary section, but really emphasize how I changed from it in the essay section.