Should I rush again next semester?

[navane]

Originally Posted by bummedout93

Thanks for the advice guys! It's just a really shitty situation bc my gpa is so low, bc 2 months into my freshmen year my little sister who I was really close to passed away from leukemia. I had an extremely hard time coping, couldn't make it throughout a class without having to leave bc I would start bawling. Ended up failed every class and then got D's and C's the next semester....but the last 2 semesters and over the summer I've had B's and A's. I didn't want to bring any of that up bc I didn't want the girls to think that I was trying to make them feel sorry for me to get a bid.....it just sucks because I feel like that period in my life keeps coming back to get me even when I've made so much progress. A 2.5 def doesn't reflect me...I was an A/B student in highschool but since I was transfer they only looked at my transcript from my previous college

Having worked as an Academic Adviser, I highly recommend that you contact your previous college's Registrar's Office to inquire about a process called "academic renewal" or "late withdrawal". In my opinion, your situation freshman year was completely understandable and you may qualify to have that entire semester removed from your record (or the grades changed to "W"). That should help improve your GPA and might help alleviate any burden you feel about your academic record.

[LAblondeGPhi]

Originally Posted by navane

Having worked as an Academic Adviser, I highly recommend that you contact your previous college's Registrar's Office to inquire about a process called "academic renewal" or "late withdrawal". In my opinion, your situation freshman year was completely understandable and you may qualify to have that entire semester removed from your record (or the grades changed to "W"). That should help improve your GPA and might help alleviate any burden you feel about your academic record.

I was thinking the exact same thing!

If your GPA is otherwise solid, then I think you have a strong case for what Navane is talking about. Your GPA is not just an issue for Greek life, but it will also come up if you ever decide to go to graduate school.

Just remember: it never hurts to ask, and you rarely get what you don't ask for.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi

I was thinking the exact same thing!

If your GPA is otherwise solid, then I think you have a strong case for what Navane is talking about. Your GPA is not just an issue for Greek life, but it will also come up if you ever decide to go to graduate school.

Just remember: it never hurts to ask, and you rarely get what you don't ask for.

It can even come up while job hunting, etc. This is really worth looking into.

[andthen]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

It can even come up while job hunting, etc. This is really worth looking into.

I 150% agree with what all of the other posters have noted, and especially Navene's suggestion in contacting your previous school to see if you can get some of the grades changed to withdraw given your family circumstances that occured while you were in school. As depending on your path post college your grades might become an issue.

It does sound like you are on a solid path with getting your grades up and as others have said get to know some of the Greek women during this time, in that way should you decide to try again, you will stand out more in a good way

Best of luck to you.

[Nanners52674]

Originally Posted by navane

Having worked as an Academic Adviser, I highly recommend that you contact your previous college's Registrar's Office to inquire about a process called "academic renewal" or "late withdrawal". In my opinion, your situation freshman year was completely understandable and you may qualify to have that entire semester removed from your record (or the grades changed to "W"). That should help improve your GPA and might help alleviate any burden you feel about your academic record.

Good call. I did this with a semester over 2 years after I left school. I wrote a personal statement about what happened and my Dr. also wrote a letter. A few weeks later I got an approval. It's really worth looking into.

[navane]

Originally Posted by LAblondeGPhi

If your GPA is otherwise solid, then I think you have a strong case for what Navane is talking about. Your GPA is not just an issue for Greek life, but it will also come up if you ever decide to go to graduate school.

Originally Posted by Nanners52674

Good call. I did this with a semester over 2 years after I left school. I wrote a personal statement about what happened and my Dr. also wrote a letter. A few weeks later I got an approval. It's really worth looking into.

Exactly. I speak from experience as, when I was an undergraduate, I had to request a retroactive withdrawal after my mom passed away unexpectedly. Towards my senior year, an Academic Adviser asked me why I had two semesters of crummy grades and, after I explained, she suggested I appeal for the retroactive withdrawal. Because the committee granted my request, my GPA went back up considerably and qualified me to apply for grad school.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by navane

Exactly. I speak from experience as, when I was an undergraduate, I had to request a retroactive withdrawal after my mom passed away unexpectedly. Towards my senior year, an Academic Adviser asked me why I had two semesters of crummy grades and, after I explained, she suggested I appeal for the retroactive withdrawal. Because the committee granted my request, my GPA went back up considerably and qualified me to apply for grad school.

I never bothered with this because I already had a post-graduation job lined up. Guess what? When I applied to grad schools EIGHT YEARS later, it was an issue.

[FloridaTish]

Originally Posted by navane

Having worked as an Academic Adviser, I highly recommend that you contact your previous college's Registrar's Office to inquire about a process called "academic renewal" or "late withdrawal". In my opinion, your situation freshman year was completely understandable and you may qualify to have that entire semester removed from your record (or the grades changed to "W"). That should help improve your GPA and might help alleviate any burden you feel about your academic record.

I know at the university I attended (and work as an administrator) it's called a Retroactive Withdrawal. Usually you will need to write a letter of explanation, provide documentation to back up your argument for withdrawal after the end of the semester and then have a letter of support from your advisor or department head. It will then go to the Dean and Registrar for approval or denial. You'd be surprised what they approve and a death in the family is DEFINITELY a reasonable cause for a RW. It will change those "F" grades to a W and will not drop your GPA as much. Good luck!