AMCAS institutional action

[IlyaR]

Hey guys, was on academic probation freshman year of UG. Have a "reinvented" application since, but just wanted to get advice on how to approach the explanation on AMCAS. I'm leaning towards just being very blunt: was immature, failed a few classes, learned from mistakes, made a 180, etc.

What do you guys think?

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[puglet]

I think that sounds fine. That section seems like a good place to explain the bad grades you got. Try to phrase it as eloquently and concisely as you can. If you truly did a 180, your transcript will have a record that confirms your assertion that you are a different person now.

Personally, I know a couple of people who got in after being on academic probation for failing a couple of classes and then investing time into reinventing themselves. One of them is a close friend of mine and I know that person addressed the reasons for it while explaining their academic probation IA because I edited most of their essays/short responses.

 

[Misfit138]

Hey guys, was on academic probation freshman year of UG. Have a "reinvented" application since, but just wanted to get advice on how to approach the explanation on AMCAS. I'm leaning towards just being very blunt: was immature, failed a few classes, learned from mistakes, made a 180, etc.

What do you guys think?

I think that's the only good way to approach it: blunt, to the point, own up to your mistakes, indicate what you've changed/learned that will prevent this in the future.

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

 

[LizzyM]

Academic probation is the best IA. You have to pull the grades up which is hard work but I've never seen the IA itself hold anyone back as long as the graades rebounded. You got off on the wrong foot, you make corrections to your style, and you turned things around. The End.

 

[ShakaChaka]

I have some questions along the same lines as this:

I received an academic probation my 1st quarter in college, 2nd quarter came by and I failed all of my classes and was dismissed. One of the F's that contributed to my dismissal was due to plagiarizing my friend's essay and failing English as a result. I was doing a lot of drugs back then. Miraculously, after I got kicked out, I read the bible and had a radical transformation. I have a insane upward trend. A gpa from a .98 to a cgpa3.72.

What should I write in the academic institutional action section? Should I explain all that happened: my probation, my dismissal, my plagiarizing academic dishonesty, the sanctions I recieved from the academic dishonesty, and what I learned and how I have changed 180 as well?

I feel like adcoms do not like to hear about religion? Should I take out the religion part in my explanation for my 180 degree change? I also heard they don't want to hear that I do drugs or was suicidal because they might think old habits die hard as well as the fact that there is a lot of doctors that abuse drugs, so maybe I should omit that and just say I was hanging out with the wrong crowd and was immature and blind?

 

[LizzyM]

I have some questions along the same lines as this:

I received an academic probation my 1st quarter in college, 2nd quarter came by and I failed all of my classes and was dismissed. One of the F's that contributed to my dismissal was due to plagiarizing my friend's essay and failing English as a result. I was doing a lot of drugs back then. Miraculously, after I got kicked out, I read the bible and had a radical transformation. I have a insane upward trend. A gpa from a .98 to a cgpa3.72.

What should I write in the academic institutional action section? Should I explain all that happened: my probation, my dismissal, my plagiarizing academic dishonesty, the sanctions I recieved from the academic dishonesty, and what I learned and how I have changed 180 as well?

I feel like adcoms do not like to hear about religion? Should I take out the religion part in my explanation for my 180 degree change? I also heard they don't want to hear that I do drugs or was suicidal because they might think old habits die hard as well as the fact that there is a lot of doctors that abuse drugs, so maybe I should omit that and just say I was hanging out with the wrong crowd and was immature and blind?

I have seen someone have a successful cycle after flunking out of an Ivy with an advanced case of alcoholism, getting into recovery and coming back with excellent grades and activities. The plagiarism from a classmate and that this was drugs, not alcohol, in your situation @ShakaChaka is an added twist that makes this more difficult to predict. Some might even split hairs between pot or pills and IV drugs/ cocaine. It is going to be a hard, uphill slog.

If you are hesitant to attribute your recovery to the bible, then you might describe it as "soul searching" and "finding inspiration in spiritual reading". There are many people who attribute their recovery from addiction to "a higher power" that adcoms are not likely to even blink, or think badly of it. And another thing, adcoms don't object to religious activities and we have a diverse student body in regard to religious beliefs and practices BUT trying to convert others to your religion or discriminating against other students (or patients) because they aren't like you in that regard is not acceptable. (just FYI--not that I think you would do that).

 

[FriedelCrafts]

I have seen someone have a successful cycle after flunking out of an Ivy with an advanced case of alcoholism, getting into recovery and coming back with excellent grades and activities.

@LizzyM , I flunked out of an Ivy, too. How were the activities of the successful applicant? How did they portray their growth and maturity? Also, how successful was their successful cycle?

I didn't do well my freshmen year, got depressed, then literally didn't attend my finals. After I left, I took a year off to myself since the blow was so devastating. I worked out, ran half-marathons, stayed at home. Then, I enrolled in community college and transferred to a uni where I have since held a 4.0 for the past 5 years. Now, my cGPA and sGPA are both ~3.6.

For my IA essay, I planned to say "My freshmen year at ____, I was on academic probation for poor first semester grades. The following semester, I withdrew since I did not improve my GPA." Should I explain that I had anxiety, felt pressure, and didn't attend my finals? Or should I only mention what I did since then to turn my life around.

Any insight would be appreciated, thank you.