<p>Hey,</p>
<p>I heard from my friend that some colleges offer probation periods for incoming students with bad grades…etc… For example: They might recruit a freshman for a year and monitor his/her performance and if he does well in classes he will be enrolled for the whole four-years. Is this true? If so, what colleges do this?</p>
<p>The colleges don’t “recruit a freshman for a year and monitor his performance”…what your friend may have been referring to is a student who is admitted having a good academic profile, who finishes his senior year with lower grades than those that were on his transcript at the time he applied and was accepted. In this situation, some colleges will rescind an acceptance outright, while other colleges may let the student matriculate, but on probation.</p>
<p>I work at a university where, if an applicant’s test scores/GPA are below a specific grid, the student may be admitted on a probational basis. They are also required to take a class that tries to assist students who may not be as academically prepared/ready for college level work in adjusting to college academically. They are also restricted to a maximum of 12 credit hours, and are not permitted to add/drop classes on the internet, like other students. Instead, they must go to the counseling center to make schedule changes.</p>
<p>If these students do well, then the restrictions are lifted. The concept is to provide a more hands-on environment, where the student has a chance to succeed.</p>
<p>I tracked these students in a former position. Some did well, eventually graduating with honors and going on to graduate studies. Others crashed & burned.</p>
<p>Not sure if that’s the kind of program you are asking about? We have a similar program for transfer students who got off to a rocky start.</p>