Maintain grades to end

Overview

Colleges WILL rescind admission for significant grade drops in senior second semester. Maintain performance through graduation.

The Data

• Rescission happens to ~1-3% of admitted students annually
• Most common: failing grades (D or F)
• Second: one-full-grade drops across multiple courses
• Third: disciplinary incidents
• Fourth: dishonesty discovered in application

Warning Signs You're Heading to Rescission

• D or F grade on any report
• Below 2.5 GPA for the semester (depending on rigor)
• Withdrawal from enrolled courses without college notification
• Disciplinary incident
• Significant decrease from your HS average

Final Semester Requirements

• Complete your AP/IB exams (even if you can't attend college the following year)
• Finish required courses listed on your application
• Earn passing grades in all courses
• Don't drop enrolled courses
• Maintain attendance

If You're Struggling

1. Act immediately - don't wait
2. Talk to teacher about extra credit, tutoring
3. Use school resources (tutoring center, office hours)
4. Consider outside tutoring
5. Tell your parent or counselor
6. Be honest with yourself

Communicating with Your College

If you anticipate significant grade changes:

1. Talk to your counselor first
2. Write an email to admissions (not financial aid)
3. Be factual and brief
4. Explain circumstances
5. Describe what you're doing about it
6. Don't make excuses

Sample Email

Dear Admissions Office,

I wanted to provide an update on my senior second-semester academic performance. Due to [specific circumstances: illness, family issues, etc.], my grades this semester dropped to approximately [letter grade]. I have been in consistent communication with my teachers and counselor, and I am actively working to improve.

I understand the expectation to maintain strong academic performance, and I want to be transparent about my situation. I'm committed to a successful first year at [School Name].

Please let me know if you'd like additional information.

Sincerely, [Your name] [Application ID]

Common Reasons for Rescission

• Academic dishonesty/cheating
• Plagiarism (including on college essays)
• Criminal charges or arrests
• Significant grade drops
• Honor code violations at high school
• Misrepresentation on application
• Social media posts surfacing negative conduct

If Rescission Happens

• Communication comes from admissions
• Usually first warning, then rescission if no improvement
• Appeal process varies by school
• Document everything

After Rescission

If admission is rescinded:

• Enroll at community college for 1 year
• Apply for transfer the next year
• Continue strong academic performance
• Consider what went wrong to prevent repeat

Disciplinary Incidents

If anything happens disciplinary-wise at school:

1. Discuss with your counselor first
2. Report to your college immediately (required by most)
3. Explain circumstances factually
4. Don't hide it

Common Disciplinary Issues

• Cheating
• Plagiarism
• Disruptive behavior
• Substance use on campus
• Violations of honor code

Mental Health and Performance

If your grades are dropping because of mental health:

• Talk to a counselor
• Consider therapy
• Communicate with college if severity warrants
• Many colleges understand and support

The Final Transcript

• Sent by your high school after graduation
• Includes all senior grades (full year)
• Colleges compare to original transcript
• Significant discrepancies flag review