I got into some good colleges, and even paid deposit for one. During final exams last month, I had been in an accident. My right arm was immobilized (and still is, will be for a few more days) due to the accident. I had 3 more days for the next exam, so my school could arrange a writer who would write the exams for me, with 3 more exams to go.
Even though I was provided an extra hour for the exams (as prescribed by examination rules), I couldn’t satisfactorily complete the remaining 3 exams in the time, owing to the lack of communicability with the provided writer, and the “shock” of the accident.
I’m pretty confident that this will result in extremely bad grades in my final 12th grade transcript. The school I decided to enroll is in the top-tier, and is very competitive. My grades have been very good for the first 3 years in high school. However, this will result in my entire HS GPA plummeting down.
I haven’t yet told the college about this incident, and am planning to do it soon. Will they rescind the admission? What can I try and do to prevent them from doing so? I am an international student, by the way.
Colleges are most likely to rescind if you don’t graduate, and if your grades fall dramatically- b/c they don’t want students slacking off. If your grades are that bad (Ds & Fs), have your GC write a note to the college noting that your final exam results were distorted by the accident.
You must have your guidance counselor contact the admissions office to explain this. Given the circumstances, I think it will be okay, provided your grades were solid for the rest of the year.
Well I don’t think I might fail, but I couldn’t get the writer to understand all mathematical notations in a short time, so I will most likely be getting a D in it. Due to the same reason, I will be getting a bad grade in Chemistry. Thank you for your suggestions, however. I will contact my counselor.
I agree with @Lindagaf about having your guidance counselor notify the school. You shouldn’t be penalized by the accident. Typically a D would be a problem but I don’t think you should accept a D given your circumstances. I think you should be able to insist on retaking the exam with a writer that is competent to write what you need without any detailed explanation – for example why can’t a math teacher act as your writer for the exam? Another option might be to arrange (with the college’s permission) to take an incomplete and arrange finish the course over the summer.
Just to be clear, please ensure your guidance counselor contacts the college first. And you should provide your guidance counselor with the necessary info about the issues with a scribe to write on your behalf. Provide info about the accident, dates, and test dates too. I agree with the above comment from @happy1. If you don’t have a suitable counselor, get a letter immediately from a doctor and ask the school principal to intervene on your behalf.
@happy1 Just to clarify, I’m not from the US, and final examinations in my country are conducted by a central education agency, separate from the school. Due to this, it may be extremely difficult, perhaps even impossible, to request a re-test. The only option I believe is to send a communication from the school to the college.
I have the medical reports and other documents ready (copy of letter from my school principal to the central agency, stating the need for an emergency writer), and was only waiting to send them to the college once I get my final transcript, and see by how much really my grades have dropped.
Why wait? Send it now, because it can’t hurt. If you are international, it’s better they receive those documents first. You are pretty sure your final grades have taken a hit. So they see those first, with no explanantion? You might be rescinded and they offer someone else a spot off the waitlist. Then it’s too late. There is literally no negative to sending them NOW, before May 1.