Suspension Appeal Letter

Applying to College
1

I would like to get your input on my appeal letter.

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to appeal my academic dismissal from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. I was not surprised, but I was very upset to receive a letter earlier this week informing me of my suspension for failing to maintain an adequate GPA. I would like to urge you to reinstate me for the upcoming semester.
When I was accepted into University of Missouri-St. Louis, I was extremely happy, because it meant that I could be the first person in my family, who were refugees, to graduate from a four year university. I was proud to call myself a Triton. As should every individual who is lucky enough to find himself or herself accepted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
I will not lie to you by saying things such as a family member was sick or blame my troubles on someone else. This is my problem and I created it. When I started my first semester, here at the university, I had false ideas of how my college experience would be. I was able to glide through my high school years without putting much effort. All I had to do was to get decent grades on my homework and pass my exams, which I was able to do with little to no studying. I thought I could do the same while in college. As the semesters went by I found this to be very untrue. I did not attend classes as often as I should, nor did I really ever seek any help to address my grades. I tended to hide from my professors and had too much pride to ask my friends for help or to even get a tutor. Eventually, I started to give up, as my inability to learn and study, my laziness, and my pride got out of control. I also got my first real job when I started to attend UMSL. Although many students are able to have a job, as well as have a plethora of other responsibilities and do well in school, I was not. I found myself distracted by work and most of my free time outside of school was taken up by my job.
These last few semesters have taught me that my old habits would not let me succeed here at UMSL, nor in the real world. I hope this wake up call did not come too little too late. I plan to address these issues. I used to spend about one to two hours a day on homework and studying combined. Obviously this will not suffice. My plan is to increase the amount of time that I spend on my homework as well as studying for my quizzes and exams to about thirty to forty hours a week. I know this is a full time job, so it should be treated as such. If I see myself slipping, I will visit my professors to seek help and if further action is required, asking for a tutor to help me with my classes will be my next course of action. Attendance was a big issue for me, as I thought I could get away with not attending classes, but still get good grades. This was an obvious misjudgment on my part. To address this I will attend all of my classes with no excuses, unless my health, religion, or the weather do not allow me to attend. If such a scenario was to happen, I will inform my professors about it and will seek the right information and materials to make up for my absence. I have already taken leave of absence at my place of employment, as I wish to not have it be an issue with my future studies.
I really do hope that it is not too late, as I really do enjoy calling myself a Triton, and would love to be an UMSL graduate. Although I wish it did not have to come this drastic action, I will prove to you, as well as everybody else, that I can succeed and I will be a proud UMSL graduate when I receive my degree. I will accept whatever discussion you make in regard to my standing as a student of UMSL.

Sincerely yours,

2

I’ve sat on these readmission committees, and I can tell you that most of us never gave a tinkle for letters of appeal. if the student had not completed the procedures that the student handbook and readmission committee required. The letter made no difference. This applied to students who had been dismissed as well as those trying to return from suspension. In fact, if you were dismissed that was the end of the line; you’d run thru all your options at that point.

Usually those procedures for students on probation required the student to earn a certain GPA, usually 2.5 to 3.0, at another college for one to two semesters before they could appeal to return to the school. Once they had returned to the school they had to demonstrate the ability to earn a certain GPA each semester so that they could pull their overall GPA to at least a 2.0 and be able to graduate.

Have you been dismissed from the college or suspended?

3

I was told that I was suspended for one year, but I could make an appeal. Am I really screwed?

4

You should go ahead with the letter, but make it shorter. Do a word count and then cut that in half. There is nothing to lose by revising it and then sending it out.

It sounds like you have been doing poorly for multiple semesters and were probably on probation before you were dismissed, so I tend to agree that your sudden interest in changing your ways is happening too late. But your new plans for being a better student will help you at your next college.

5

in my experience, when suspended a student is expected to do the things I mention before petitioning for return. check your suspension letter and see what it requires. check the student handbook; it usually provides guidelines. instead of asking us, ask the guidance office or counselor in your college. there are rules for these procedures, and the specific rules will be known by the staff at your college.