No Good News Comes in Thin Envelopes

Admit It! seniors; you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  College decisions have arrived, you’ve decided where you’re going to spend the next four years (or at least you’re getting closer to making that decision), prom is just around the corner…and you’re sitting pretty.  You’re contemplating taking a break.  You can feel senior-itis coming on stronger with each passing day.  You deserve a reward for all your hard work right?  What’s skipping a class here or there or deciding to hang out with friends instead of studying for a final?  I know some of you want our permission to let your grades drop but that’s nothing something we can give.

Most, if not all colleges and universities will have a fine print statement in their admission materials that states admission is contingent upon continued high standards of personal and academic conduct as well as completion of all course work in progress.  Heed that warning and continue to power through.  Don’t let everything you’ve worked for fall to the wayside.  At W&M, we review final transcripts and if we see a dramatic drop in grades (meaning multiple Cs, any D or any F), a thin envelope will be sent your way.  Same goes should we learn of any new disciplinary infraction on your part.  The letter will ask you to explain why your grades have declined or why you’ve been suspended/expelled and will remind you that your offer of admission is not 100% air-tight.  Once we receive an explanation from you, the Admission Committee will reconvene and decide whether or not further action is warranted.  This further action can range from an on-campus visit between you and the Dean of Admission to rescinding your offer of admission (not something we do frequently but absolutely an action we’ve taken).  While we certainly understand the temptation to give yourself a break at the end of your senior year, we know that there are many students we didn’t admit who are finishing strong.  We also know that the best transition to college-level academics begins with a strong finish in high school.  Know that we do not relish sending these letters or rescinding admission offers.  If we could send no such letters that would be a banner year.

So continue to study.  Continue to work hard.  Continue to have fun too.  Be worthy of the admission offer you received and don’t find your summer ruined by the dreaded thin envelope.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ’09
Senior Assistant Dean of Admission