Academic Appeal??????
Dear Academic Appeal Committee and Admissions
My name is and I am a sophomore at Wxxxxxxxxx University majoring in Mathematics. I registered for 16 credit hours in the spring semester 2012 consisting of Calculus, English 2013, English 3015, Basic Speech, and History 1401. My adviser had recommended dropping Calculus so it would not hurt my GPA due to a poor average. Basic Speech and English grades dramatically declined after coming back from spring break due to my naive and foolish preparations. I declare my grades being mediocre in the spring semester because before arriving my first year at Wxxxxxxxxxx University I obtained approximately twenty hours of both Concurrent and Dual Credit courses. My grades consisted of multiple A’s and B’s with one D due to a tragic emergency. I cannot blame anyone else but myself for the position I am right now. My ignorance created procrastination which ultimately offered a free ride to academic probation. As the semester came to a conclusion I witnessed my own failure and visited my adviser frequently, although it was too late to fix the spring semester I am fortunate to be able to overcome my problems for semesters to come. After reviewing the classes I had took during the spring semester I was questioned why I had registered for two English classes when I was completing a mathematics degree, but truth of the matter is I was planning to minor in English Language. It was childish of me registering in unneeded courses and unwise thinking they would benefit me in the long run (only needing a 3000 and 4000 level course) to acquire a minor in English. I worked a full time job during the semester which ultimately sucked the life out of me as I wanted to be the best at what I did setting aside my school work. Undisciplined, procrastination took a toll when I had multiple books to finish. My biggest regret is not cutting my hours when I truly need study time. I did’t see college as a true threat since I have always exceeded in academics making me naive and foolish. With your gratitude I will overcome my failure and once again exceed in my own education.
I was careless and ignorant due to my past success isolating my surroundings causing me to more forward blind. My education is important to me and is something I will carry for a life time. I would like to continue my degree plan here at W************** thus I have took precautions as of now. I have spoken to my parents and discussed the position I put myself, they were not pleased by any circumstance. I am extremely shocked of how low I have allowed my studies to get as well as loose I have become towards them. Speaking to my adviser he recommended me cutting my hours providing me with more energy and time to put to homework as for group studies. Now that I’ve seen my errors, with your permission I will provide my fullest of efforts and dedication to exceed in my education to avoid this situation once again.
1. Firstly, I am cutting my hours to a third of what I worked during the spring semester. (15 hours a week instead of 45)
2. After cutting my hours by a third I will be given three days of which I did’t obtain to target weekly group studies as well as adviser office hours.
3. Although providing group studies, I am uncertain if all my questions will be answered which is why I am also promising meeting with the professors in the course of struggle.
4. These three promises are all of which I failed to consider during the spring semester, if I am still lacking a promising A or B, I will cut my job out of the picture and focus more on my promises before mid terms come around.
conclusion.
Comments
If this were to cross my desk, I would most likely deny it. A good appeal needs to have 3 things:
1. Documentation of a good reason why you failed to meet the required standards.
2. Documentation of something that has changed that makes it likely that you could meet the standards in the future.
3. Documentation of a plan to improve your performance.
As far as I can see, you haven't fulfilled any of these things.
1. Despite your flowery language and a huge helping of humble pie, what it comes down to is that you simply didn't do your work. At most colleges this would not be an acceptable excuse. Usually, the reason has to be a serious situation that was beyond your control, such as an extended illness, a death in the family, loss of essential transportation that prevented you from coming to school, etc.
2. What has changed? Usually this would be something like a letter from your doctor stating that you have recovered from the injuries you received in a car accident and that you are now ready to return to class. Because you don't really have a good reason for your failure, you can't document something that has changed that now makes it likely that you will meet the standards.
3. You do have an academic plan, but it's all promises. Promises are like piecrust--easily made, easily broken and generally pretty flaky. Where is the documentation that this plan is in place? If you want this to fly, you need to include things like a letter from your employer showing that your work hours have been reduced, and a letter from your academinc advisors showing that you've met with them and arranged for tutoring and meetings with the professors. You need to show a plan with specific benchmarks for performance.
I don't mean to be critical, because you obviously put a lot of work into this, but if I were sitting an appeals meeting, I can guarantee that the entire committee would be rolling its eyes when they came to this letter. It has WAY too much BS in it. If you want it to be taken seriously, cut out all the apologies and brown nosing. State simply and truthfully that you were new to college, that you set yourself up with an overly ambitious schedule, and that you became overwhelmed by it. Then tell them in simple, clear language what you have done to try to correct the situation.
"With your gratitude I will overcome my failure and once again exceed in my own education" You might want to rephrase that a bit because it sounds like you are expecting the appeals committee to show gratitude to you. What exactly should they be grateful for? Perhaps you might want to revise it to say something like "With your help I will overcome my failure and succeed in meeting the standards".