Add me to the chorus that this is WAYYYYY too long. Remember, yours will be only one of many letters. You need to be very succinct. More word does not equal better.
Just get to the point quickly. You want the committee to read to the end. As your letter stands now…I doubt they will.
A lot of the explanations you provide are, in my opinion, important to include, but they are repetitive and therefore too long. The challenges you have faced in addition to those we are all facing with COVID, are truly horrific and I am so sorry.
I can help with the letter tomorrow if I have time. But want to make a few other comments. Are you sure that returning to your university is the best course, first of all? If you do not have to work, that is good, but are you going to have large loans? Can your parents afford it?
Second, if you were depressed, you should have considered a medical leave, which in some cases can wipe the slate clean for grades. In fact, in some cases, you would not get any W
s forwithdrawals and your transcript would be clean.
Did anyone suggest this to you? Your therapist?
If you do return, make sure to register with the Office of Disabilities with documentation of your depression. This would entitle you to accommodations like extensions on assignments.
You had COVID and the school did not accommodate you with extra time for work?
Between the financial situation, worry for your parents, homesickness and isolation during a major pandemic, language issues, COVID illness, the need to work, and depression (no wonder!) I really feel for you, and wonder if you might consider talking with a dean or other administrator about a medical leave instead of a suspension. Ask your therapist for support on this.
ps One of my kids teaches and has run into a lot of situations during COVID like this, and my prof. kid has accommodated many without formal registration with any office of disabilities. These are extraordinary times requiring extraordinary kindness and flexibility. Did noone help you during these struggles?
Thank you for your remarks, it would mean a lot to me if you could help me out, the only reason i am writing descriptively i because my suspension letter stated that “Your appeal letter should include a full explanation of what went wrong, including any special circumstances beyond your control that prevented you from achieving an acceptable level of academic performance. Please discuss the obstacles to your academic success and include a detailed plan for improvement and change.” No one really told me about any of this as i thought depression could not get me a medical leave and as for the office of disabilities again i thought it wasn’t for depression. Please kindly give me some guidance as i have reached out to my counslor and professors but they are not responding due to winter break and this is due on monday. I will forever be grateful
Thanks for the response but my suspension letter stated that “Your appeal letter should include a full explanation of what went wrong, including any special circumstances beyond your control that prevented you from achieving an acceptable level of academic performance. Please discuss the obstacles to your academic success and include a detailed plan for improvement and change.” This is from the letter and now i dont know that my letter should be detailed or short.
You don’t have to write a LONG song and dance to provide a full explanation. More words doesn’t mean your explanation is better. You need to summarize.
First paragraph: Although I take full responsibility for my poor academic performance, there were difficulties precipitated by the pandemic. Family’s TEMPORARY loss of income due to onset of pandemic led to your temporary need to work to support yourself, led to overwhelming failure of time management in face of extraordinary but temporary financial pressures. You surely had Covid, so state that you had it and were very sick with it for weeks, if that’s true. Depression as a result of the stress of temporary need to work while in school, pandemic social isolation, getting Covid, falling behind. Don’t even mention mother’s chronic medical issues, and don’t mention home sickness issues - that’s not really solvable unless you take leave and visit home, speaks more against your being able to do well next semester.
Detailed plan for improvement: you don’t have to work anymore as family’s business is now doing well again, as initial pandemic shock’s effect on a retail business has receded and family’s business is doing well again. Your primary and sole focus will be academics. Don’t mention sports or gym. You’ve sought counseling for the SITUATIONAL depression (which makes clear that you’re not a chronic depressive, but had a very understandable reaction to the tremendous stress and isolation of the pandemic), and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. You have sought help from the tutoring center, will attend all office hours, all classes, all tutoring sessions. You will seek out study groups with your fellow students for social support for academic achievement. I don’t think that you should mention involving your parents - no professors want to have anything to do with your parents, and it makes you sound immature.
A few sentences about how much you appreciate the academic opportunity at your college, and how you sincerely wish to continue and improve academically, and that you feel that with the above-described plan, you are confident of future academic success. I don’t even know if you should mention potential transfer into an equally difficult major.
YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE! Many, many students just fell apart during the pandemic, and the committee knows about. In fact, some of THEM probably fell apart during the pandemic. I am sure that a brief, one page letter that very specifically follows their template as given in their instructions is likely to be successful. And then make sure that you avail yourself of all the resources the school offers, including the mental health counseling, tutoring center, etc. Set yourself a no excuses goal that you will attend EVERY class, and EVERY office hour, tutoring session, etc. And I’m serious about finding other students to study with, for every class. Group peer support works great for doing well in school.
I PM’ed you. Look for the green circle to the left of your avatar at the top right of the page.
Please reflect on whether you want to stay for this semester. Life is not a race. I would finish this letter but include a request for a medical leave. I will help you privately on PM.
ps I condensed your essay- look at the PM. It is important during COVID to include many personal details/explanations that in normal times might be left out. Right now, I believe both full details of why you failed AND plan for improvement are crucial.
There is no way for us to evaluate whether depression was situational and situational depression also deserves accommodation.
@thumper1 I think there is a difference between summarizing and condensing. I think the details are important here, due to COVID’s effects, but there is a lot of repetition that can be avoided with a more concise version that still contains important details.
Your letter is too lengthy & repetitious.
Before rewriting your appeal letter,try to write a very brief summary of each of the 9 paragraphs in order to condense your explanation.
Paragraph #1. Introduce myself.
Paragraph #2. (This paragraph is incorrect because some of the reasons for your poor academic performance were beyond your control. Your parents’ financial situation and your illness due to Covid were both caused by factors beyond your control. Additionally,your mother’s health conditions were & are beyond your control.)
Rewrite the second paragraph as a brief outline of the reasons for your poor performance.
Paragraph 3. Covid, finances, & work.
Paragraph 4. Homesickness & mother’s illness.
Paragraph 5. Essentially, this paragraph shares that you were not prepared to be a student at an American university.
Paragraph 6. Illness due to Covid.
Paragraph 7. Strong student who had difficulty adjusting to a new country and had unforeseen personal difficulties.
Paragraph 8. I failed to utilize available resources at this university. I did not attend classes: I did not study; I did not seek academic help; I will change by taking these steps.
Paragraph 9. I will do better. My situation has improved. I realize the seriousness of my situation. Request for another chance.
Basically, your letter is a rough first draft that needs to be presented in a more clear & concise manner.
I provided a condensed rewrite on PM.
No further comments to add. But just throwing you some support. Wishing you the best. You will get through this.
Agree & also want to give my support to you & to your effort to be reinstated / given a second chance. You have endured more than most could handle. You are strong & you will be successful.
2 posts were split to a new thread: Suspension Appeal