Senior D-am I done?

M_s_Mom
Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:32:53 +0000

Re admissions: A lot depends on your overall record. If you have good grades overall, and solid recommendations, then one D might be excused by the private schools (which have more latitude to exercise judgment than the public schools) especially if they think it’s a ‘one off’ event, you acknowledge responsibility for failing to manage your time correctly, and they can see that it’s not part of a downward trend or further proof that you can’t do college level work. (That is certainly the case you should try to make in your letter.) The public schools are more likely to operate on a strict formula and set of policies and precedents, so if you hit the screen, you may not be able to do anything about it. I would avoid making any excuses - a straight ‘I messed up, I got distracted, I learned from the experience, and it won’t happen again’ is your best story line.

With reference to approaching your teacher, I think that’s over. You’ve already asked to take the missed quizzes or do extra credit and been told ‘no dice.’ I suspect that had you approached your teacher from the start with a frank admission that you screwed up, he or she might, perhaps, have taken pity on you. At this point, I think it’s too late.

I also want to mention that it’s pretty common practice for make-up tests to be harder than the original tests. It prevents people from calling in sick when they are unprepared or otherwise gaming the system.

I’m sorry about your grandmother, and the stress it has generated in your family. I’m sure that’s played a role, but it isn’t likely to get you a break after the fact. In most cases, kids with family emergencies need to approach teachers as soon as it happens if they know that their academics are going to be impacted. It looks like an excuse this long after the fact.