Please can i get feedback on appeal letter

In summary, I had a very difficult year this semester, and my grades suffered as result, I admit, I had a lot on my plate with basketball and work, but I did not have enough time to do the coursework. I am very sorry for the low GPA and I will work hard to get back into the school. I have decided to reduce my course load next semester, focus more on studying, and live with family in order to manage my time more effectively. I know this is not an excuse for my poor academic performance, but I hope you will give me a second chance. In summary, the student was disappointed in themselves and their academic performance. They admitted to struggling with a lot on their plate and did not
  • #1
hunter101
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To Whom It May Concern:I am writing to appeal my Academic dismissal from the University of Windsor, I was not surprised but very disappointed; I was disappointed in myself because I know that I could have achieved much better results. I would like to urge you to reinstate me for next yearI admit, I had a very difficult time this semester, and my grades suffered as result, I don’t mean to make any excuses for my poor academic performance but I would like to explain the circumstances, I knew that registering for ten courses this year would be difficult to handle and I thought I could handle it, and I still believe I could handle it but when I was on the basketball team the workload became a lot and I then took up a job to help pay for my living. I do not have OSAP for school, so I had to get a job to help me financially. My parents and I pay everything. My Little sister also become ill and I went home for the last two weeks of march and a few days of April to help her, I was going back and forth home to help my mom because my dad is not in the country he is working overseas, so I was going back and forth between Brampton and Windsor to help her which was around the time of my final exams, we went to the hospital April 17th for my sister because it got worse, which gave me little time to study for my exams. I understand that this is still no excuse for my low GPA and will work extremely hard if reinstated back into the school.I love the University of Windsor, I have many family members and friends that have come to this school and told me good things about it, and it would mean a lot to graduate from this school. If I am reinstated I will focus much better on schoolwork, manage my time more wisely, I have also decided to cut out the extra circular activates and focus more on my studies. I have also decided to live with some family member’s in Windsor so I do not have to worry about living expenses and not have to juggle too much stuff and focus on school. My little sister has also gotten well and my father is back so I won't have to come back home to help my mom as regularly as I did last year.Please understand that my low GPA that led to my dismissal does not indicate that I am a bad student, who does not work hard, I am a very hardworking student who had a very bad year and if given a second chance will improve greatly in my academic’s, nothing is more important to me than graduating and getting my diploma and focusing on my school work. I hope you will give me a second chance to prove myself, thank you for considering this appeal.
 
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  • #2
Thats a tough letter to read. I know how tough it can be to load up on courses, work parttime and not having enough time to do the coursework work. I didnt have the extra burden of family illness though.

Im guessing the financial situation prompted you to take extra courses to save money down the road. If so then you might want to explain how things cascaded out of control.

One thing that struck me was your willingness to do better but there's no plan shown.

How will they know you can get better? has circumstances changed so that youll not be distracted?

Do you need some time off to help at home until things get better?

Is there someone you can talk to before you file your request to get more personal advice? Or can you request a meeting with someone at the college to plead your case and how you plan to fix it?

Having a clear plan like a reduced course load, and a solution for the illnesses and work issues would help your case a lot and you may need someone on your side like a prof or relative who graduated from the college who can vouch for your sincerity.

Are there any other things not mentioned that the school may know and use against you as they decide your case?
 
  • #3
i said that i will move in with my family members so i don't have to work and i cut out the extra circular activities, what kind of plan should i put
 
  • #4
an no there is nothing
 
  • #5
(1) Before sending your letter visit the University and have some informal discussions .

(2) Write to a specific named person with the authority to make the decision .

(3) Write your letter much more like a scientific document :

Brief introduction .
Statement of problem .
Background to problem .
Origin of difficulties .
Specific proposals for remedies .
Brief summing up and thanks .

(4) Don't write anything that seems like whinging , rambling or grovelling .

(5) Add references from people like lecturers , high school teachers and any other professional people that can support your application .
 
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  • #6
hunter101 said:
what kind of plan should i put

Wrong question. You should be thinking along the lines of what kind of plan should I have? The point of this is not to bamboozle the committee - it's to demonstrate that if readmitted you will succeed.
 
  • #7
hunter101 said:
If I am reinstated I will focus much better on schoolwork, manage my time more wisely, I have also decided to cut out the extra circular activates and focus more on my studies. I have also decided to live with some family member’s in Windsor so I do not have to worry about living expenses and not have to juggle too much stuff and focus on school. My little sister has also gotten well and my father is back so I won't have to come back home to help my mom as regularly as I did last year.

is this not a plan i can use
 
  • #8
You need to get someone to help you with the appeal, someone who knows the system. Do you have a favored prof that can help? your departmental advisor or department chair maybe? your parents, aunts uncles who are alumni in good standing?

And I'd ask for an interview if possible. Going the extra mile puts more pressure on them to do the right thing. Of course that's when you need to articulate a plan to get back on track. I keep emphasizing the plan because if you go to an interview that's what they are going ask about. They will want to see how sincere you are and that you understand what caused the drop in grades (not the external factors but how you handled balancing school against those factors)

As an example, could you have temporarily withdrawn from school, or talk to the profs about the family situation to get a delay in your finals... Things like that. Its not uncommon for people who are working to tell their boss what's going on and take mutually agreed time off to deal with it without consequences.

What year are you in college? Usually in the US students hit a brick wall in their junior year when they discover that they can no longer coast through classes and really need to buckle down to pass. Procrastination also comes into play where other activities are more interesting to pursue and school work can wait.

A Blast from the Past

In my case, I had a CM class that met on Mondays and Fridays only (the prof liked this schedule). Homework was assigned on Monday to be due the following Moday. My plan was to do it over the weekend as I worked during the wek while going to school (20 to 30 hrs). Friday comes along and the prof, nice guy that he was assigns a few more problems to be due on Monday since you guys must have done most of the original assignment right?

CM was not an easy class, I was struggling with some of the math and physics involved. My homework got handed in late. Since I was working and I was a commuting student, I had no fellow classmates to collaborate with and of course little to offer since I couldn't do the homework until the weekend. The prof told me my work was excellent but it was late and so he marked it down a grade. I was in a no win situation but I squeaked by.

Now I wish I had had the time to do that work. Looking back, my plan should have been to talk with my parents ( I was trying to be self supporting financially while living at home ), quit my job and focused on the work but I couldn't let go instead I took the easy route thinking I can say I was working if I failed. I should have reduced my hours at the first sign of trouble instead of trying to squeak by until it was too late to fix anything. I repeated this mistake with the same prof a semester or two later when I did an independent study with him on GR. I was still working and still trying to do the homework without the proper prep and again he was disappointed. I also lost a chance to get a recommendation letter from him for graduate school because of my poor performance.

These things have a cascading effect that you need to see and plan for.Its a human failing not to seek help or notify folks when you've got a problem that will get out of control. In some sense, its like the gambler who loses a bet and so doubles the next bet to recover. It never works out. (the better strategy is to bet half your money each time so that you gracefully lose or gracefully win as you learn the game ad recover your losses...)

If your grades have been good in prior semesters then they should give you another chance but there is no guarantees. However, being from the US, I have no idea how strict the British academic system and/or Windsor can be with respect to this.

Sorry for the rambling nature of my post, iitems for a plan:
- taking fewer classes
- planning your class load to cover non-major courses needed to complete your degree
- organizing your class load (mix of tough and easy classes)
- how you would have handled the current crisis better:
-- notifying someone beforehand,
-- reducing your work hours
-- getting a delay on your exams,
-- dropping a class early that was too difficult...

- how you would handle external factors in the future ( it could mean seeing your advisor or someone at school for advice)
- reduction of non-essential extra curriculars ( don't drop everything you still need to play some but don't tie up your schedule by being on a team)

Other mentors here may have some more advice.
 
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  • #9
aside form the plan, hich i will work on is the appeal letter good/
 
  • #10
I would follow @Nidum 's advice step by step. State your case be apologetic but don't go overboard, don't whine or blame the circumstances and tell them how you plan to fix it (place your academics first and foremost). Also I'd suggest a meeting where you can state your case verbally and hand deliver the letter to them. The meeting will be tougher but like I said earlier it can be more effective. Don't be cheap here and think I'll just send the letter.

For the meeting, bring some support with you, meet with the person and give them your formal request in the meeting based on how it goes. The meeting shows you are serious about this issue and that you are willing to go the distance (ie shows some maturity). You should also dress up for it like a job interview. You don't want any bad impressions to cloud their judgement.
 
  • #11
they are not taking face to face meetings
 
  • #12
Its your right as a paying student to be able to have a face to face meeting.
 
  • #13
i talked to to the associate and they said they are not meeting anybody regarding the matter.
 
  • #14
hunter101 said:
i talked to to the associate and they said they are not meeting anybody regarding the matter.

I don't know what to say. I tried search for some support for your case but found this more general article:

https://www.collegeparentcentral.co...udent-is-academically-dismissed-from-college/

In it they suggest a few approaches like taking a semester off or year off, working, traveling or taking courses at a community college and then applying for readmittance where you'll have to show how the situation has changed and what you did to resolve it.

I guess if you really push it then that could work against you.

Do you know any students who have gone through this already that might be able to tell you what they did?
 
  • #15
Hey! Did you get re-admitted? I was required to withdraw too and wrote a similar letter but was not re-admitted.
 
  • #16
The OP hasn't been back since May 25, I'm afraid.
 
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1. What is an appeal letter?

An appeal letter is a written request for reconsideration or review of a decision made by an organization or institution. It is a formal document that outlines the reasons for the appeal and provides supporting evidence or arguments.

2. Why do I need feedback on my appeal letter?

Feedback on your appeal letter is important because it allows you to improve the clarity, effectiveness, and persuasiveness of your arguments. It also helps you identify any weaknesses or gaps in your case that you may have overlooked.

3. Who should I ask for feedback on my appeal letter?

You can ask a trusted colleague, mentor, or professor who has experience in writing and reviewing formal documents. It can also be helpful to seek feedback from someone who is familiar with the decision-making process of the organization or institution you are appealing to.

4. How do I incorporate feedback into my appeal letter?

When incorporating feedback into your appeal letter, carefully consider the suggestions and make changes that strengthen your arguments. Be sure to also maintain your own voice and style in the letter. It is also a good idea to have the person who provided feedback review your final draft to ensure all changes were properly incorporated.

5. Is it okay to ask for feedback multiple times?

Yes, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for feedback multiple times, especially if you have made significant changes to your appeal letter. This can help ensure that your arguments are clear and effective, and can also show your dedication and determination in seeking a favorable outcome.

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