Hi Sally, I recently was accepted RD to Yale, having applied for the prospective major of Film Studies. I’m an international student in the IB program. However, I’m currently freaking out because my IB SL Math grade has dropped from a 6 (last sem) to a 4. This semester basically all of our tests have been on Calculus, my worst topic. I am absolutely terrified of getting rescinded. Math has always been my worst subject, and throughout high school, I’ve gotten mostly 5s as final semester grades for Math, with a 6 last sem for the first time. I have a tutor and have for a while, but I’m not performing sufficiently on this semester’s tests. I have a month before my final day of school before IB exams, so we don’t have any more tests scheduled. I am planning on talking to my school’s IB Coordinator tomorrow as to what I can do about this if I can do anything at all. The past two years, I’ve also been seeing a therapist for depression, anxiety, which usually leads to burnout at the end of each school year. If I have to write a letter to the school, I don’t think this will cut it as an excuse. This is all I can think about and I have no idea how to move forward, and am absolutely petrified.
@freakingouttttt - I don’t think that Yale will rescind your acceptance for this downturn on one SL exam. However, you should definitely be proactive here. Don’t wait for Yale to contact you after receiving your exams scores. Instead, email your Yale admissions rep NOW and explain what you’ve said here. You want the Yale folks to know that you’re getting tutoring and not slacking, but that you’ve always struggled in math.
However, don’t mention the depression or anxiety … at least not yet. You can always tell them about that later, if they respond unfavorably to your first email.
For now, just explain that you took on a challenging class and your grades are slipping in it despite your best efforts and even with tutoring.
I really think you’re going to be fine, but let me know what happens.
Hey Sally, it has been a week since I filled out the course change form regarding my mistake on the UC application (discussed before). I still didn’t get anything back from Berkeley (despite the fact that many others in a similar situation received a response within 2-3 business days). Is this a bad sign? My mistakes were very minor… Should I not expect an email back all together due to the magnitude of the situation?
@SpiritedDisplay1 -I really think you have nothing to worry about. You may not have heard back because your mistake was so minuscule or you might have just fallen through the cracks of the bureaucracy at a huge university. If you don’t hear back by Monday, you can try calling the admission office and asking to speak with your regional rep. But, in the meantime, don’t lose any sleep over this.
Thanks Sally 
@Sally_Rubenstone I might get a D on my BIO 210 course ( all my classmates are working in medical fields or planning too, I’m struggling ) .
I’m taking this course , because its a required course in order to transfer and be admitted to the CSULB social work program. My overall GPA is 3.36. I got a conditional acceptance for CSULB. Their is a possibility that my application will be rescinded.
Their is no way I might still get in, even with a “D” ?
I have never failed a class, but this class has been difficult for me.
@lvetts -Although the California public colleges can be sticklers when it comes to "D,"s they really do evaluate each student on a case-by-case basis before rescinding an acceptance. So you need to contact your CSULB admission rep immediately and explain that you are worried about getting a “D” in a bio course that is over your head. Point out that you have been working hard (providing examples, if any, of extra help you’ve received from the professor or a tutor) but that you feel like a fish out of water in a classroom full of future physicians. If you are doing well in your other classes, be sure to highlight this in your message. You can also describe the type of social work you are interested in doing (e.g., family counseling, working in a school setting, with foster children, etc.) which will probably have no connection to knowing biology.
The important thing at this point is for the CSULB admission folks to know that you ARE trying and that you DO care. So don’t wait to see how your class ends up; be proactive and contact them. But ALSO contact your BIO 210 teacher, if you haven’t already, and ask if there is anything you can do for extra-credit to finish up with at least a C.
Good luck and let us know how you made out.
For one of the classes I had a C in i brought it up to a B for the quarter and for another one of the classes that I had a C in I got a 93 on the final and one of my Bs went to an A. I’ll try to keep them up, thanks for the advice!
@captainjamestkirk46 -Way to go! Now you can finish the school year without worrying that you’ll end up in hot water with your college. I had thought all along that you’d be okay, but this seals the deal. Nice work!
Hi Sally,
So I’ve only had A’s and a couple of B’s in my high school career, but last semester I got a C and B- in two AP classes, with A’s in the rest.
This semester, it’s looking so far like they’ll be similar to that (C and B-), with some A’s I got last time dropping to B’s now. Is that grounds for rescission? Should I contact the college before I this semester ends?
Thanks!
@student27462 -I don’t see your grade drop as dire. Once the semester is over, and you know exactly what your grades will be, it might be a good idea to contact your college and warn them to expect a dip, providing a reason other than slacking for the downturn!
Keep in mind that colleges only pay attention to FINAL grades. So if your classes are yearlong classes, then your final grades should be a bit better than your second-semester ones are.
While I don’t have a crystal ball, I don’t see any college rescinding an acceptance for the change in GPA that you describe, but it would be helpful to know where you plan to enroll. Even so, my best guess is that you’ll still be fine wherever you’re heading.
Hi Sally,
I was recently admitted to North Carolina State University as a transfer student after my first year from a smaller private college in NC. My first semester GPA was a 3.5, with 3 A’s and 2 B’s. I’m taking Calculus II this semester, and I’m really struggling with it and it looks like I’m going to get a C or possibly (hopefully not) even a D. The 4 other classes I’m taking this semester will all be A’s with possibly a B. Calculus II is not a required class to transfer. Should I be worried about getting rescinded?
Hi Sally,
I was accepted into UC Riverside with a 3.4 GPA, 1270 SAT, and my current grades are 4 As, C in AP Physics 2, and F in AP Calculus BC.
The UC Provision of Admission says that I have to finish with no D/F. I’m in the process of trying to bring up my Calculus BC grades. If I can’t bring it up, are they extremely strict in enforcing the provision of admission?
I’ve already emailed the admission office, but they just responded with the provision of admission, and an answer that’s very vague with the possibility of they may or may not.
If this information helps, I have already completed the A-G Math Requirement with 5 years, and Calculus BC would’ve been the 6th
@Uncooked–I think you’ll be okay even with a D (though that’s certainly not ideal). However, I do urge you to write to the NC State admission office NOW and explain exactly what you’ve told us here, emphasizing that the calculus class you’re struggling in isn’t required for the transfer. Just let the admission folks know that you’re paying attention and not slacking, and keep up other grades. You should be fine.
@DengKevin–The UC schools tend to act as if they’re strict, claiming that students with any grade below C can expect to have an acceptance rescinded. BUT, in reality, these cases are typically decided individually. So, you have already done the right thing by contacting the university. Continue to not only try to bring up your grade but also document what you are doing. At this point, you shouldn’t just be studying hard but you should also be seeking out peer or professional tutoring, staying after school for extra help if it’s available, and asking your teacher if there are extra-credit assignments you can tackle to boost your grade.
Then, if you end up with a grade below C anyway, you can tell the admission office about the specific efforts you made to improve your grade and maybe even enclose a note from your teacher to corroborate this. You should also point out in your message (even if you’ve done this already) that you chose a particularly challenging math class that went beyond your a-g requirements.
While I can’t say for sure that you won’t lose your acceptance if you end up with a D or an F, you will definitely boost your odds of keeping your place if you are proactive about improving your grade, if you maintain a record of what you are doing to improve, and if you provide the admission office with a detailed email message about the rigor of the class and the measures you took to succeed, as soon as you know what your final grade will be (if it’s a D or F). Don’t wait for the admission folks to contact you!
And keep in mind that colleges only care about your FINAL grade in a class. So if the D or F is just for one marking period or semester but you end up with an overall grade of at least a C, then you have nothing to fear.
Colleges really don’t like to rescind acceptances so, even with a D or F, if you can give UC Riverside a good reason or two for NOT rescinding yours, it could be a win-win for all concerned. Good luck!
What are the chances that UC Berkeley will rescind my admission?
I took AP Chemistry my junior year, and the course was not offered by my school, and therefore, I had to take it online (without a teacher) through my school. However, I was not able to complete the course, and therefore, it shows up as an F on my transcript. But I did repeat that same AP Chemistry online course that junior year and completed it with an A grade, and that was the only grade I reported on my UC application (I did not list the F, only the A). I have submitted an admission update form informing them about this. There is no change in my GPA though, since only the A is counted. Do you see any major concern?
@desifaltoo -I’m glad that you were honest and told the admission office about your false start in online AP Chem. I don’t anticipate a problem. The fact that your school didn’t count your F means that Berkeley is not likely to care about it either.
Hey @Sally_Rubenstone
I got accepted to Boston University class of 2023 with a cum gpa of about 3.7. My senior first semester grades were all Bs and As but I had a D+ for Ap Physics during first semester during junior year. Right now I have a C and a C+ and I’m not sure if I can get them up. The rest are all As and Bs but do you think I would get rescinded?
@Yayzers -No, I really don’t think you’re BU acceptance will be rescinded but you might get a warning letter and could be asked to explain the C’s. Thus, as I’ve advised many students before, it’s usually wise to be proactive in these situations and write to the admission folks NOW and explain why you’re earning C’s in these classes. But only do it if you have a decent excuse … e.g., either you’re taking a rigorous course load overall (whether these particular classes are challenging or not) or there’s some other temporary issue (illness, trouble at home) that has been distracting you. (However, it’s NOT a good idea to say that you’ve been distracted by prom planning or track season or some other extracurricular. The college folks expect you to prioritize academics.)
Admission officials don’t like slackers, so if you feel as if your downturn isn’t due to slacking, then say so now, before the semester ends. Otherwise, say nothing but be prepared to POSSIBLY have to respond to a warning letter over the summer (which you may not actually get).
Hi @Sally_Rubenstone I finally got the response back from berkeley via email regarding my problem about 3 weeks ago (I posted it on here).
They simply said:
“Thank you for the update. A copy of this update has been connected to your file.”
Good sign right? They sent a different email to a friend of mine, who dropped a course and added another instead, that assured him his decision is not at risk.
Not sure what to make of this. Maybe the emails were different because I didn’t drop any courses?