Academic Dismissal Appeal Letter/readmission letter - low GPA, I felt disappointed in myself

my low GPA does not reflect my work ethic

Dear Provost's Dismissal Appeals Committee,
I am writing to appeal my academic dismissal from the University of XXX and I am hoping that you would reinstate me for the following school year. Firstly, I blame myself for getting such a low GPA and if I tried harder by utilizing the school's resources wisely then I would have never been put into this predicament. I felt ashamed and disappointed in myself for getting a dismissal letter for not being able to maintain a 2.0.

My poor grades are not a result of failure to prioritize coursework or extracurriculars outside of school, instead, they are a product from my mental health combined with my possible learning disorder, which both had a negative impact on schooling. What led me to believe that I have dyslexia is the fact that I always struggled with things like reading, writing, and doing well in tests, and at the college level I cannot hide or compensate my struggles as I once did in primary and secondary school. With the possibility of having a learning disorder I was also suffering from social anxiety which kept me from really seeking the help I needed with my learning problems. My learning problems made it hard for me to do things like concentrate and get good test grades so when my anxiety began to worsen it only added to the problem by adding on physical symptoms that were out of my control. Both began to take a toll on my grades. Getting officially tested for dyslexia would have provided me with a diagnosis, allowing for accommodations but that was something I could not afford so instead I sought help for my anxiety at a counseling center, where I have been working with a therapist over summer. After meeting with my therapist a couple times I was referred to a psychiatrist where I was diagnosed with social anxiety and depression and prescribed medication to lessen symptoms. Currently, I am working with the accessible education center to get accommodations in classes for my anxiety. While going to therapy for my anxiety my therapist told me about a scholarship that the accessible education center offers for testing learning disorders. My new found knowledge of this scholarship has encouraged me to finally seek answers for why I struggle in school and hopefully provide an official diagnosis.

I hope the committee can understand that my low GPA does not reflect my work ethic. I came into XXX as a math major because it was my favorite subject back in high school but realized quickly that it proved to be harder at the college level. Although I haven't yet declared my major, if I'm readmitted, I plan to major in sociology, a major that allows me to delve into my interest of understanding how groups of people interact while also being a broad enough major to either go into the medical field or social work. It is something I've always been interested in pursuing and if given another chance, I believe that I could show you my true potential. If I am readmitted to XXX, I will continue to utilize the schools resources by going to therapy and getting psychiatric treatment for my anxiety and depression, along with this newly found scholarship I will be getting officially tested for my learning disorder, and meet with the schools college counselors to help with class planning and time management. I will also continue to utilize the schools tutoring sessions to get help with my academics. Apart from the school's resources, on my own, I plan to plan out my studying time with planners and give more focus and attention to my studies.

Thank you for taking the time to read my appeal and giving me this opportunity to explain my circumstances.

Monica, the diagnosis of depression and anxiety does not explain in a convincing manner, the reason why you failed enough classes to get eliminated as a student from the university. You have mentioned Dyslexia as a possible reason for your learning disorder but you failed to give evidence of that in this letter. In order to plead your case in a more believable manner, it would be best if you get tested for Dyslexia first. A reference to a medical certificate attesting to your reading disorder will be more considered than simply anxiety and depression.

While you have a strong explanation for your anxiety and depression disorder, you have not addressed the possible reading disorder that you have. You need to mention how you plan to seek help after your Dyslexia diagnosis so that you will be given some leeway in your classes where you may struggle due to your problem with reading. Don't focus on your anxiety and depression case because medication can help you overcome that, but you need more help for your Dyslexia disorder because that can affect your grades every time since there is no medicine that can be taken to help yo deal with that. Dyslexia is more of a physical, emotional, and mental struggle where you will require more help to achieve your class grades so you need to have a proper focus on how you plan to overcome that, should be really be diagnosed as a Dyslexic.

Hi Mary, thanks for the feedback! Surprisingly I didn't fail any classes. I passed them all with passing grades but the GPA is what got me dismissed. Not sure if that makes it better.

Nope. It doesn't make a difference because, in the eyes of the university, you still had a failing score overall. Your grades were not enough to get you a passing GPA mark as per the university criteria. There is no difference in reasoning nor in the consideration that the university will give you. That is why I told you that depression and anxiety do not count as a valid excuse since there is help readily available for that.

Additionally, stress and anxiety, unless connected to a debilitating illness acquired during the semester, does not qualify as a valid reason for being unable to perform academically. You should have been able to bring up your GPA just the same .Clarify if you were diagnosed with this illness during the semester and explain how you received help after the damage had been done to your grades.

The bottom line is that you did not do well enough in your classes to get the score that you needed to stay in the university. You cannot blame a medically treatable illness for your shortcomings even if you were diagnosed with the illness during the semester. However, having a learning disability such as Dyslexia will qualify as a valid reason for being unable to achieve the grade that you needed to stay as a regular student in the university.

If you would like, you could take the Dyslexia reference out of the letter in order to create the idea that the only reason you fell short of the requirements was because you were trying to deal with your mental health issues. That seems to be more of the focus of your letter anyway as you indicated only a possible case of Dyslexia. That is what muddled the letter in the first place.