Academic probation extension appeal?

[kateee]

C

[Nanners52674]

Originally Posted by kateee

Could anyone help me write a letter requesting an extension of academic probation for one more semester? I'm really terrified as this letter will partly determine if I keep my membership or not and I want it to be well written but writing isn't exactly my strong point.

Why do you need the extension? How many semesters have you been on probation?

[kateee]

Originally Posted by Nanners52674

Why do you need the extension? How many semesters have you been on probation?

I

[NutBrnHair]

I think you need to write the letter yourself.

[pinksequins]

Kateee, I am not a member of your organization, but I agree with Nutbrownhair. First, writing the letter yourself demonstrates a level of commitment that may weigh in your favor. Second, writing the letter will provide practice and discipline in an area that you believe requires strengthening. Perhaps your college has a writing lab with teaching assistants who help students become better writers. The letter may be a good project for a few sessions there.

That said, I will provide a few writing pointers. Look at my paaragraph above. It starts with a concise statement of the topic or purpose. Follow the lead-in with a few focused, concise arguments in support of your statement, leading with the strongest. Then conclude with a summary statement. Another pointer is not to be afraid of editing your work.

Good luck!

[kateee]

Originally Posted by pinksequins

Kateee, I am not a member of your organization, but I agree with Nutbrownhair. First, writing the letter yourself demonstrates a level of commitment that may weigh in your favor. Second, writing the letter will provide practice and discipline in an area that you believe requires strengthening. Perhaps your college has a writing lab with teaching assistants who help students become better writers. The letter may be a good project for a few sessions there.

That said, I will provide a few writing pointers. Look at my paaragraph above. It starts with a concise statement of the topic or purpose. Follow the lead-in with a few focused, concise arguments in support of your statement, leading with the strongest. Then conclude with a summary statement. Another pointer is not to be afraid of editing your work.

Good luck!

]

thank you! i am going to write it myself but i am completely lost as to how to do it. but starting with the strongest point first sounds good and thank you for the advice about how to structure it.

[SoCalGirl]

You need to be sure that the letter is in your "voice". Whoever you work with on the letter should know you well enough to make sure that it's true to you. Do you have a chapter sister that could be of help?

Since this letter is for your sisters, as opposed to the school, I think it's okay if it's not "perfect".

It sounds like you've worked very hard to make academic and health (physical and mental) improvements. Good for you! That is very difficult.

Good Luck!

[pinksequins]

Kateee, here are a couple of other thoughts for your consideration. You may benefit from sessions post-class with a statistics TA. You might also benefit from some organization assistance since you seem to fall behind when you became ill.

I found the TAs to be enormously helpful with my calculus classes, 12 credits of which were at that time required at my university (and I was a liberal arts major!). A STEM student I was clearly not, and I didn't understand a single formula in the large lecture hall classes. The TAs took time and helped me understand (not simply memorize) formulae. On the exams, I was happily surprised when I recognized a fact pattern.

[pinksequins]

Viel gluck! (Where is the umlaut key???)

[AZTheta]

Wait a second. You didn't make grades Fall 2013, so were on probation for Spring 2014. Now you haven't made grades again - for Spring 2014? You didn't say why you didn't make grades last Fall.

I have to say that this is very concerning, and I think you need to really look at whether you are able to meet the demands of sorority membership as well as your academic studies. These words may sound harsh, but having been a scholarship advisor for several years, I know what I'm talking about.

[kateee]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

Wait a second. You didn't make grades Fall 2013, so were on probation for Spring 2014. Now you haven't made grades again - for Spring 2014? You didn't say why you didn't make grades last Fall.

I have to say that this is very concerning, and I think you need to really look at whether you are able to meet the demands of sorority membership as well as your academic studies. These words may sound harsh, but having been a scholarship advisor for several years, I know what I'm talking about.

I

[carnation]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

Wait a second. You didn't make grades Fall 2013, so were on probation for Spring 2014. Now you haven't made grades again - for Spring 2014? You didn't say why you didn't make grades last Fall.

I have to say that this is very concerning, and I think you need to really look at whether you are able to meet the demands of sorority membership as well as your academic studies. These words may sound harsh, but having been a scholarship advisor for several years, I know what I'm talking about.

I agree with AZTheta. Until you can get your life under control, Greek life and maybe even college life are beyond you. As a former professor, I have never heard so many excuses.

[maconmagnolia]

Originally Posted by carnation

As a former professor, I have never heard so many excuses.

Unless you know something we don't know, I found this to be a little rude. Having dealt with severe depression at one point myself, I know that it can be EXTREMELY debilitating and can affect a person to the point where he/she truly cannot get out of bed during the day. Yes, she did list many reasons for her grades to drop - but I don't think any of them were just completely invalid. It seems like all of the problems she had stemmed from two things - physical illness and mental illness. Katee, maybe instead of listing every single, specific problem you had this semester in your letter, you could just emphasize your physical and mental health and explain how those two things affected the other aspects of your life.

Katee, I would follow Kevin's advice about how to structure your letter and what content to put in it. I couldn't have said it better myself. I would also add that, in your letter, you need to accept some personal responsibility and explain how you will handle school, etc. if your health (physically and mentally) deteriorates again. The members of your sorority need to be assured that if you find yourself going through a rough patch again, you will be better equipped to handle it and your grades will not suffer as much.

[pinksequins]

Going back to the structure of the letter and taking AZTheta's concerns into account, your supporting points need to explain how you are going to achieve the objective of making grades this coming semester. The letter needs to include an action plan.

Not to diminish the issues last year, your supporting arguments nevertheless should not read as a list of woes. Clearly something was amiss to cause you to miss the grade requirements. Instead focus a supporting argument on how you will get from point A to point C. You may need a mini-plan for each academic area (such as the TA for calculus class and maybe taking meals with the German house residents so that you have time to practice your language skills.).

[Sen's Revenge]

kateee, aside from everything else, make sure you have exhausted the resources available to you at the school. If you have some sort of diagnosis which interferes with your academic success, I feel like that knowledge (and a subsequent plan) will provide a pathway to GPA recovery.