Expert advice from real admissions officers and college counselors

Issue #7

Yes Virginia, there really are students who get their admissions offers rescinded. Poor grades, being disciplined or expelled, or a combination of the two can lead to a reversal of a decision in a heartbeat. If this happens to you, contact the college right away and offer to meet with them. They may be willing to readmit you after a semester at a community college, or admit you under academic probation. It will help to have a letter of support from a counselor, or at least a phone call from a school official on your behalf. The best way to prevent it from happening? Listen to your counselor, and remember: Senior year counts.

Although it is rare, colleges do rescind offers of admission. The reasons for this happening are all within your control. Did you stop working academically once you received your letter of admission? Did your A grades turn into C grades? Did you swap six academic solids for two in your final semester so you could kick back and enjoy the end of high school? Did you forget that continuing to challenge yourself academically and taking tough courses isn't about getting into college, it's about being prepared to succeed once you get there? Don't let yourself off the hook academically. Continue to seek challenge and achieve at a high level, and both you and your university will be happy with the result!

Colleges seem to have different approaches to dealing with "senioritis." Colleges look at final transcripts with the expectation that students are performing at the same level as when they applied. Some colleges will allow a student to explain a drop in grades, enter on a probationary status, or perhaps begin at a community college and enroll at the four-year college for the second term. Issues relating to truancy, dishonesty on an application, or suspension, however, are grounds for rescinding admission without much, if any, leniency. Seniors should remain vigilant until they throw that cap in the air at graduation!

Make no mistake: The colleges are serious about this. I personally know two students who had their admissions rescinded: one for a significant drop in grades and the other for excessive non-medical absences. Both of those students ended up attending junior college and had to go through the whole college application process again as transfer students. Colleges want students who are well prepared for college. That includes consistently doing your best and having the maturity to see things through to completion. So, keep working hard and remember that it's not over until you have that diploma, with grades that reflect your best effort, in your hand.

When we notice that an incoming freshman shows a significant academic drop, we may take the action to have the student start in a probationary status or we may revoke our offer of admission. For Gonzaga, it is situational and largely depends on the severity of the academic decline. Aside from academics, it is also possible to lose a space in the enrolling class if a serious discipline issue is brought to our attention. No matter what the change in a student's profile, they should address the issue with maturity by explaining the situation in writing, and take responsibility for their actions. These situations are very rare — most students maintain consistent grades and character throughout senior year.

Each year we have kids whose grades have declined to the point that their colleges threaten to withdraw the admissions. After hearing sufficient remorse and even asking the student to come to the campus, the colleges almost always allow the kid to attend under some probationary status.

When seniors receive acceptance letters from colleges they often think, "I'm in! Now I can relax and enjoy the rest of my senior year." But they might not read the fine print in those letters or on the application they completed. For example, UCLA describes its admission as "provisional, which means that you must meet the conditions stated in the Provisional Admission Contract before your admission becomes official." The conditions require students to keep up their academic performance. If problems emerge, it is better to be proactive in working with the college. Contact the college immediately to inform them of the situation. Keep the college informed as the senior year comes to a close. Have final grades/transcripts sent to the college as soon after graduation as possible. If you think there is a chance that your acceptance could be rescinded, have a backup plan.

While offers of admission are revoked infrequently, when it does happen, it is gut-wrenching for everyone involved. When a college extends an offer of admission, it does so expecting the student to complete all the courses indicated on the application, and to earn grades that are similar to or better than the grades they've earned previously. Virtually every acceptance letter includes language indicating the "conditionality" of the offer of admission. If a student fails to meet those conditions, the college can revoke the acceptance. If you suspect that your grades won't be up to par, or that you may not complete a particular class, be sure to meet with your counselor to discuss notifying the college you plan to attend.

Because the vast majority of colleges have far more applicants than openings, it is very easy for them to go to the next name on the list. So don't give them any reason to reconsider your admission, such as not completing the classes listed on your application, a big drop in final grades, or discipline issues. Providing false information on your application and multiple deposits are other notable disqualifiers. I can't think of any basis for appeal for lying, breaking the law, or double-depositing. But there may be some flexibility when it comes to academic problems if there were extenuating conditions, such as illness or a traumatic event.

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Advice provided in COLLEGEword reflects the views of the individual admissions officers and college counselors offering the advice. Information in this newsletter is of a general nature. It is provided for educational purposes only and may not apply to you or your situation.