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Im afraid UCSD might rescind my admission. Are these good reasons for having slipped in grades? Please read this and tell me if i should change stuff. (Note: first semester grades were mostly from slacking, but i was actually making an effort this year to balance my GPA out.)

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To University of California San Diego Admissions:

I am currently a high school senior who has been provisionally admitted to UC San Diego for the fall of 2004. I’ve carefully read and understand your conditions of admissions, however I regret to inform you that I’ve been struggling in my AP Government and AP Statistics classes. I am not currently receiving a D in any class, but notice that I might not fulfill the 3.0 overall GPA requirement; it might be a 2.8 by the end of the year (2.6 fall semester, 3.0 spring semester). I understand that my grades have slipped this year, and I take full responsibility for the grades I have earned, but urge you to reconsider rescinding my admission.
I was planning on earning a B or better in both classes this semester, since I had received C’s in these classes last year and I knew I could handle the work. However, at the start of the semester, personal problems caused me to lose focus. I was emotionally devastated when I was informed that my grandfather had suddenly died of lung collapse only a few days after planning to visit my family and I from South Africa. I was extremely fond of him, despite having only met him once before.
Along with this, I was confronted by my parents who admitted that they could not afford paying for college as much as they had expected. My father’s business has been suffering, and it became clear that I needed a second job to make paying for college possible without taking loans. On afternoons after school, I had been actively searching for a job, then working at my existing one, then finishing my homework. Efficient time management became nearly impossible after school, as I had to manage a rigorous class schedule, a current job, and finding a second job as a supplement.
The problem is not that the material has become too difficult, but rather that managing my time in such a manner and dealing with my grandfather's became an obstacle in my academic success this senior year. I have rebounded from a worse slump since I was once failing AP statistics and I was receiving a D in government, but managed to improve my grade to C+ in both classes. If you need any verification that I improved and am improving in these classes, I’m confident that my teachers can write a letter to report positively about my improvement.

I expect my grades this semester to be (my school doesn’t use +/-):
AP English- A
Honors Physics- A
Calculus - B
AP Statistics- C
AP Government - C

Last semester, my grades were (to my best recollection):
AP English- A
Honors Physics- B
Calculus- C
AP Statistics- C
AP Government - C
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Thanks to you all. help me out plz!!

By English_Girl (English_Girl) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 07:33 pm: Edit

I think that sounds really good! It makes it sound like you're taking responsibility for your grades, and like you really want to go there. I'm sure they will be impressed that you took time out to send them a letter. I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather

By Entropie (Entropie) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 09:22 pm: Edit

thanks English Girl. I appreciate the feedback.

any other opinions? I want to make sure they don't just think i slacked off. Anything i should add or take away? (i know there are a couple of mistakes i made in copy/paste).

By 4real (4real) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 09:24 pm: Edit

Alright, it's pretty good, but you need to slant these situations to your advantage as much as you can. DEFINITELY take out the line where you talk about only meeting your grandfather once. It obscures your devastation. You need to stress the importance of your relationship with him, and that admission takes you two steps back. Give some more details about the specific obstacles your new job and family death produced: depression, thoughts consumed, lack of time etc. You don't want to sound like a pathetic sob story, but I don't think this sounds convincing enough. Once you rweork it a bit, it will be really good.

By Scubasteve (Scubasteve) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 10:01 pm: Edit

i don't get why people write letters BEFORE anything happens... makes more sense to me to play it off like nothings wrong, then come back with a letter if and only if the school contacts you about the drop in grades

By Lostnconfused (Lostnconfused) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 10:08 pm: Edit

yeah good luck to you. im writing a letter because i have a D.

By Entropie (Entropie) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 10:13 pm: Edit

scuba-

they expect YOU to do this. If you don't notify them, your chances of being rescinded are supposedly MUCH higher. I've always heard from people, if you even think you're not going to meet their requirements play it safe and send them something.

I was planning on doing what you said until I started researching this stuff.

By Imalerd (Imalerd) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 10:16 pm: Edit

I was emotionally devastated when I was informed that my grandfather had suddenly died of lung collapse only a few days after planning to visit my family and I from South Africa. I was extremely fond of him, despite having only met him once before. >> I was emotionally devastated when I was informed that my grandfather had suddenly died of lung collapse only a few days after he planned to visit my family and I from South Africa. I was extremely fond of him, despite having met him in person only once before.

the first sentence was a little confusing because you ddidnt use "he" and say "in person" because it seemed to me that you guys were not as close as you said you were when you said you've only seen him once.. i hope this helps! good luck :D

By Lahlahlah (Lahlahlah) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 10:39 pm: Edit

"... but urge you to reconsider rescinding my admission. "

you're urging them to rescind your application???

-might wanna fix that

By Lostnconfused (Lostnconfused) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 10:47 pm: Edit

UC Irvine - Freshman Contract for Provisional Admission

Provisions for Admission


Complete all senior-year courses as listed on your application.


Your senior-year GPA in UC-approved courses must be at least 3.00.

If you receive a D or F grade in any A-G or college course in your senior year, notify the Admissions Office immediately in writing and submit a copy of your grade report or transcript. Consult with your admissions counselor after you submit the information.


Notify the Admissions Office immediately, either in writing or through UCI's online applicant Message Center, of any changes to your A-G courses in your senior year. Visit the Message Center at: http://www.admissions.uci.edu.

ok it says notify the office of admissions (which we both have)... doesnt say you'll automatically be dropped.


http://www.admissions.uci.edu/maa_uci/freshman_contract.html

By Lostnconfused (Lostnconfused) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 10:48 pm: Edit

i know its for UCI.. but should be the same for all UCs.. for UCSC its just nothing below a C

By Entropie (Entropie) on Tuesday, June 08, 2004 - 10:50 pm: Edit

no, im urging them to RECONSIDER doing that...or did i really biff that sentence up and im just not getting it? how would you say it?

thanks for all of you's advice!

By Lostnconfused (Lostnconfused) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 01:07 am: Edit

Entropie you're right. that sentence makes complete sense. i dont know what laha is talking about.

By Shannon05 (Shannon05) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 01:10 am: Edit

dude who knows they prob get soo many of these letters its tuff to say

By Bluealien01 (Bluealien01) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 01:14 am: Edit

I'm curious. Why did you have three C's the previous semester if these events had not yet taken place? They might wonder too.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 01:26 am: Edit

I think that despite your letter, you still might have a tough time convincing the committee. My reasons are the following:

1. It's not unusual for students grandparents to die. WHile adcoms know that this is difficult, IMO a grandparent's death is unlikely to garner an applicant much sympathy unless, for instance, the grandparent was raising the applicant.

2. You did not have to take a second job. You had a choice of taking out loans, which most college students do, including those who worked jobs in high school.

By Mosquito86 (Mosquito86) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 02:05 am: Edit

"planning to visit my family and ME"

I think you wrote your letter in a sincere manner. However, I think your "job reason" might not come across properly. When you said you had trouble w/ time management, that may work against you. College is all about time management. You must be able to do internships/jobs, ecs, and academic work at the same time in college (and still perform well). The fact you could not handle it in high school might actually make an adcom think you wont be able to handle UCSD.

Another thing..before sending the letter, I am confused about gpa requirements. Is this 3.0 overall unweighted gpa? Doesnt your ap or honors get bumped up?

I mean they have a gpa requirement..but I also thought they let people get by w/ Cs (they have a prob w/ Ds and Fs). I'd check up on that.

By Entropie (Entropie) on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 03:01 am: Edit

i dont think it's weighted. I'm pretty sure i read that in the UCSD provisional admissions thing.

well i guess i'll make a few corrections and send it off. For those people who wish me luck, thanks. For those who have doubts, i thank you for not falsely getting my hopes up, but that's the way things went this year. that's all i have, and i guess i made a few mistakes (ie not deciding to take a loan and slacking first semester). Oh well, it sucks. I appreciate your comments more than anything.

My fate awaits: or ...who knows.