Can Grad Schools Rescind Offers? Do You Think They Would? Help!

[autismadvocate]

So, guys, I had a terrible worst-nightmare style experience on Monday. I went to take an online exam for one of my CSD online post-bacc classes an hour before it was due...only to find I only had a minute thirty seconds to take it. I Christmas Treed as many bubbles I could, but I only managed to randomly bubble ten (out of fifty) questions. My problem, I realized after the fact, was that I'd forgotten to account for Daylight Savings Time and so my hour and change that I gave myself to take it turned out only to be change.

 

I emailed the professors, but they said it wouldn't be fair to the other students to let me (and the other students who missed the deadline, apparently there were multiple of us) take it. So now I've got what's basically a zero for an exam which counted as 15% of my grade.

 

I'm going to work REALLY hard to make sure I at least pull off a B-, but it's going to be difficult. For the first time in my college career (and third in my life) it looks like I might get a C if I'm not really careful. And so, even though I have an acceptance at FSU, I find myself fearing that it might get rescinded. This is unknown territory for me, and all I can think about is how my teachers in high school told us that if our grades took a turn for the worse the colleges who had accepted us would rescind our acceptances.

 

What do you guys think? Do graduate schools rescind applications? Do you think they'd rescind mine if I got a C? Am I being paranoid or rightly concerned?

 

Hugs are appreciated.

[LMZ]

I would think that as long as you don't FAIL the class you should be fine? But I am not sure. I wonder if you can email them and tell them what happened so they are aware of the situation.

 

That seriously is a nightmare! I am so sorry for you!! HUGE HUGS!!

[lgwslp]

I would highly doubt they would rescind your application, especially considering it would only be your first C EVER!! in a college course.

 

I wouldn't worry too much. If when you send your final transcript to them, you could add the reason for the C. I am sure they will understand.

 

You have a 3.9 GPA and 3.9 Post Bacc, So I don't think they will be too worried about it, it's not like you failed the test because you didn't know the information. Don't stress too much! You are well qualified for the offer they gave you, I doubt they'll take it away You're an excellent candidate. Keep your head up! Plus I think as long as you have a C, you are in the okay anyways, don't most programs say you have to just at least have a C average. You're well above that. Sorry for the stress though!!! Time change is ROUGH.

[twinguy7]

I agree, I've been told that it shows good character and self evaluation skills when you can recognize a mistake and take ownership of it. I would let FSU know in the future(if you do end up with a C) what caused the C and tell them how hard you worked to keep that from being less than a C and you should be fine. In my statement letters I briefly described why I received one C and one B- in my CSD courses and I think it helped.

[shuca]

I highly doubt that they'll rescind their offer, but is the class one of the prerequisites for FSU? If so, you should check to see if they accept a C for prerequisite. Worst case scenario, you'll be retaking the course this summer. Even if it's not a prerequisite, if I were you, I'd get in touch with the admissions office to talk about the conditions of admission and make sure a you are still in a good standing. Just be honest and explain what happened; I think it's a very easy mistake to make, and I'm fairly confident they'll be forgiving.

I'm giving you the biggest hugs!!!!!

[SLPamy]

First of all, I am so sorry that happened to you. Online classes are tricky in that way. I have made a similar mistake in the past (forgot to start a huge project until after it was already due), but luckily it was just for an online art gen ed. I think that you will be fine. I remember my teachers recommending that students take difficult coursework during their final spring semester so that if they got a bad grade (I'm assuming a B or C), it wouldn't affect admissions decisions. If you do get a C, I think that I would just explain the situation when you send your transcripts to them and say that you will retake the course in the summer if necessary.

[ImpulsiveNixie]

I highly doubt that they'll rescind their offer, but is the class one of the prerequisites for FSU? If so, you should check to see if they accept a C for prerequisite. Worst case scenario, you'll be retaking the course this summer. Even if it's not a prerequisite, if I were you, I'd get in touch with the admissions office to talk about the conditions of admission and make sure a you are still in a good standing. Just be honest and explain what happened; I think it's a very easy mistake to make, and I'm fairly confident they'll be forgiving.

I'm giving you the biggest hugs!!!!!

 

This. Although, you may not have to do much explaining. While I am sure you made mention of the courses, did you say anything about the grades? If you didn't and as long as your pass the class then you have nothing to worry about. If you gave projected grades then I would do what shuca said and find out the conditions of admissions. Really girl, you don't have to worry. You were a strong candidate and the school wanted you regardless of this one class.

 

Also, post-bass courses from my understanding are the undergrad courses that everyone in the major had to take and as long as your meet their minimum GPA then you will be fine.

 

You aren't going to wake up from this dream autismadvocate - YOU ARE GOING TO FSU!!! 

[ballerina18]

Everyone has given you great advice so far. As previously stated, you are obviously well qualified for their program and surely everything will work out well in the end. =)

 

I just wanted to give you a great big HUG!

[pitt123]

If possible, I would explain, to your current professors, the impact this might have on your future and ask for an extra credit assignment. I'm not too familiar with online courses, however, I would want to call my professors instead of e-mailing them.

 

Does your acceptance letter specify any conditions that you must meet? I would try to find out what the university's admissions policy is and what they can legally do.

 

Honestly, I do not think you have anything to worry about because of how strong your academics have been thus far. Though, it is important to have all of your bases covered. 

 

Best wished but I'm sure it will work out just fine.

Edited March 12, 2014 by pitt123

[Persis]

I don't know about America, but in Canada as long as you maintain a B average after you have been admitted you are fine.  So usually people don't stress after their fall grades are in.  We tend to relax unless you are doing horrible. With your GPA you are fine.

[autismadvocate]

Wow, you guys, I'm so happy! In a true display of how well I really did know the subject, despite my near-Christmas treeing (I did glance at the question and then quickly chose an answer) of only about 10 questions...I actually got 10/50 on the exam. Which is really impressive. It's sad that's impressive, but it's impressive. That's three percentage points added on to my grade that I didn't think I was getting, which is REALLY appreciated.

 

My odds of being able to manage B now just increased and I am very grateful for that. I'm starting to feel more confident and like I can pull this off.

 

I asked about doing extra credit or additional projects anything else I could possibly do. It wouldn't be fair to let me do exra work, but thankfully there is extra credit already existing for the class, although it only goes towards our quiz grades, to my knowledge, which I was already aceing so that's not very helpful...unless she lets it go over 100%? I'm trying to figure out if I should ask her if I can apply my extra credit to the midterm.

 

I looked at FSU's prerequisite information and I couldn't find anything about grades. I don't think I'll mention it to them, though, unless it looks like I won't be able to manage the B, because I really am starting to believe this is possible. I'm going to have to work really, really, REALLY hard, but I know I can do this.

 

Thanks for all the hugs and support you guys. Last night was really rough. But today is looking better.

[krcgator]

I agree, I've been told that it shows good character and self evaluation skills when you can recognize a mistake and take ownership of it. I would let FSU know in the future(if you do end up with a C) what caused the C and tell them how hard you worked to keep that from being less than a C and you should be fine. In my statement letters I briefly described why I received one C and one B- in my CSD courses and I think it helped.

How did you approach discussing the C in your statement of purpose? I felt that I wanted to draw on my strengths, as well as, my future plans and what I would contribute to their program that I didn't know where to fill in any academic issues. Some schools wanted a strict 2 page double-space! Maybe I'm just too chatty? I think it could be very beneficial to see other people's statements of purpose within the field in order to ensure that yours is competitive with others. Too bad I didn't think of that last fall!

[krcgator]

P.s. autismadvocat: been wanting to say this for a while...GO Gators!   My hubs and I met at UF, but he is a Seminole born and bred! I guess I get the best of both worlds; at least somebody is happy during football season!

[twinguy7]

@ krcgator  

 

my brief description of my C and B- were as follows:

 

I was a 2.0 student before finding a passion for Speech Pathology and getting back into school and in my last 3 years of school raised my overall GPA to 2.77 with only one B-(online class) and one C(sports injury/missed assignment). 

 

It was something to that effect.  I was told it shows ownership and the committee is not left to think you just did not understand the material for a class by getting a C.  Now they know I got a C because of a missed assignment and not because I did average for the entire class. 

[krcgator]

@ krcgator  

 

my brief description of my C and B- were as follows:

 

I was a 2.0 student before finding a passion for Speech Pathology and getting back into school and in my last 3 years of school raised my overall GPA to 2.77 with only one B-(online class) and one C(sports injury/missed assignment). 

 

It was something to that effect.  I was told it shows ownership and the committee is not left to think you just did not understand the material for a class by getting a C.  Now they know I got a C because of a missed assignment and not because I did average for the entire class. 

THANK YOU FOR SHARING! You did a great job explaining it briefly, but directly.

[autismadvocate]

P.s. autismadvocat: been wanting to say this for a while...GO Gators!   My hubs and I met at UF, but he is a Seminole born and bred! I guess I get the best of both worlds; at least somebody is happy during football season!

 

lol, nice. I'm feeling less favorably about UF than normal, just because this whole to-do was in one of my UF online courses (also, their online class system is kind of a mess), but I'm sure that feeling will fade with time. I'm going to be a USF-UF-FSU blend - I really can't be unhappy watching any sports because, well, I'll root for everyone!