I need to write a petition to my school - what are they looking for in this petition?

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Hi Everyone,

I am in an ADN to BSN program and I just received an email that informed me that my GPA is below the school requirement, and now I have to submit a petition by tomorrow in order to (hopefully) continue my education with them. My GPA is low because I have not done as well the past 2 classes as I had hoped. I still passed with an average C, but it still lowered me. My GPA is 2.37 and the school requires a 2.5. What do I need to address in the petition? I have a pretty good idea, but this could turn out to be dooms day and my future is hinging on it, I want to make sure I nail it.

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I don't have any advice for you, but wanted to offer you my best wishes for a positive outcome. I can imagine the stress you must be undergoing. Good luck.

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Identify but don't dwell on why your grades were a bit lower for those classes and then outline a plan of action you will take to prevent this from happening again...such as " I will work more closely with my instructors to identify areas in the curriculum for remediation in subject areas in which I am currently weak" They will want to know you understand having a lower GPA means you likely have some areas in which you are weak coming into the program. also state your strenghts - "I have had success in...." i.e. foundations of nursing and clinical application -----if the school subscribes or has student use any kind of tool such as ATI - identify that you will utilize this on a regular basis. explain your plan for time management that will allow you to be successful and have time for study. the fact that they are asking for a letter of petition means they must have some seats to fill ..you may be competing with others for those seats. be sure to use good grammar, punctuation and spelling. be clear about your intent. hope this helps

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If there were any extenuating circumstances, then they will want to know that as well. Keep it short, sweet and to the point. Appeals committees don't like to hear excuses but do like action plans.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

like an action plan - state the problem, state WHY it is a problem (cannot graduate or fulfill goals) and state what you intend to do about it. Be specific in what actions you must take to create a change.

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These sound like good advice. Action plans, brief explanation of any extenuating circ's (like illness or serious trouble - your house burned down, God forbid, or something you absolutely had to take care of and which ate up your time).

I guess address it to the person who told you to write it or to the Dean or Director or someone real high up, or to the head of whatever committee will be deciding your fate.

Best wishes for every success and for the future you want.

If, for any reason. you don't get to stay in school, there is perhaps the chance to repeat the semester or the courses in which you are weak or do some extra credit or other approach to remediate the problem?

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I had to do this for a scholarship once, and these are all good suggestions! Keep it short and to the point, and don't make excuses! Tell them why you fell short of the mark and what you plan to do to come back up to par. For me, there was also hardship involved so I did include that, and also had a professor that I had already gone to for academic assistance prior to my receiving notice of my scholarship being revoked, write a letter stating that we were already working on an action plan together. I would also make sure that you send your letter via certified mail--so that you have a receipt of delivery...I know people that sent their letters and then were denied because the school said that they never received them...if you send it certified, you have proof that they got it.

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I had to do this for a scholarship once, and these are all good suggestions! Keep it short and to the point, and don't make excuses! Tell them why you fell short of the mark and what you plan to do to come back up to par. For me, there was also hardship involved so I did include that, and also had a professor that I had already gone to for academic assistance prior to my receiving notice of my scholarship being revoked, write a letter stating that we were already working on an action plan together. I would also make sure that you send your letter via certified mail--so that you have a receipt of delivery...I know people that sent their letters and then were denied because the school said that they never received them...if you send it certified, you have proof that they got it.

It is always wise to use certified mail, return receipt, and restricted delivery for life altering documents being sent by mail.

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