Congrats graduate, just kidding. We changed our minds.

[clinicallabguy]

I graduated (or so I thought) on May 1st. Today, I receive a letter that says that I didn't fulfill all of the requirements for my degree. The letter didn't give any more information, and I need to contact the graduation office via my student email for more information. I'm sure that I fulfilled all of the requirements, and my department chair signed off on my graduation or I wouldn't have been able to apply for it.

Has this happened to anybody else? Do you think this happens often?

I'm accepted, and I need a bachelor's degree to matriculate so this better get cleared up.

Hopefully, this will blow over. I feel pretty confident it will. But, if not, do you think that many people get a year extension on their acceptances for this reason?

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[LittleRocker]

If your department head signed off on it like you said he did, then I would fight this one till the bitter end. Get a lawyer if it comes to that. You HAVE to graduate to matriculate.

 

[RoadRunner17]

Definitely what LittleRocker said.

If it's a class that you're missing or something, then you should be able to do it over the summer. It'll be annoying, but you do what you gotta do.

 

[Arzt67]

Wow, that is a nightmare. I was paranoid that would happen to me since there was no confirmation I had all the paperwork finished at my school, but your situation sounds bizarre since the department chair signed off for it. I would do whatever to find out what went wrong and fix/fight it. If that takes a while you might want to notify the medical school so they know why they haven't received final transcripts, especially if they have an early deadline. Hopefully they'll be understanding about it.

 

[clinicallabguy]

Ya. I will contact my med school.

The letter said that it may take up to 5 business days before they get back to me regarding exactly what the problem is. I hope that it is faster.

I emailed the department chair to see if she could see what was going on.

I really think that my graduation department meddles too much with requirements. I understand that they should check if you did your generals (which I already have the associates degree that says I did). But, if the department head of a department says that you have been educated in their field adequately to receive a degree, then who is the graduation department to disagree. Like they're thinking, "no I think that you need more classes about stuff we know nothing about, in order to gain a degree in something that we don't understand what it is."

I'm just ranting, of course. I'm sure it's just policies and bureaucracy junk. But, this stinks!!!

 

[RoadRunner17]

Ya. I will contact my med school.

The letter said that it may take up to 5 business days before they get back to me regarding exactly what the problem is. I hope that it is faster.

I emailed the department chair to see if she could see what was going on.

I really think that my graduation department meddles too much with requirements. I understand that they should check if you did your generals (which I already have the associates degree that says I did). But, if the department head of a department says that you have been educated in their field adequately to receive a degree, then who is the graduation department to disagree. Like they're thinking, "no I think that you need more classes about stuff we know nothing about, in order to gain a degree in something that we don't understand what it is."

I'm just ranting, of course. I'm sure it's just policies and bureaucracy junk. But, this stinks!!!

Does your department officially publish all the requirements for graduation somewhere? That should give you firm ground to stand on if you've completed everything

 

[Perrotfish]

I had a friend this happend to, it turned out to just be something stupid (he forgot to return a book to the library). Don't get yourself too worked up until you at least know it's a real problem.

 

[Arzt67]

I had a friend this happend to, it turned out to just be something stupid (he forgot to return a book to the library). Don't get yourself too worked up until you at least know it's a real problem.

yea, it could be something like an overlooked fee, like a few cents for printing, or something equally trivial. Try not to spend too much time worried until you find out what it is!

 

[Merissa87]

Yep...happened to me last summer. A math class I took previously did not fulfill the math requirement for the B.S. Biology degree anymore, so I spent my entire summer after graduating studying for the MCAT and taking calculus II..Sucked!!!

 

[UVAbme2009]

Mistake maybe? I had a mistake online for my graduation requirements, but it was correct elsewhere. Maybe that's how it got messed up.

Are you going to UVa or Pitt?

 

[scottyT]

Yep...happened to me last summer. A math class I took previously did not fulfill the math requirement for the B.S. Biology degree anymore, so I spent my entire summer after graduating studying for the MCAT and taking calculus II..Sucked!!!

That sucks. The college I went to only holds people to requirements that were in place when they declared the major. I heard stories of people coming back to school after 20 year absences--the registrar's office had to dig up the old catalogs to determine what they needed to graduate. The only time the requirements could possibly change would be if a student changed his/her major. I can't imagine going to a school that could arbitrarily change the requirements on you mid-stride.

 

[clinicallabguy]

Okay. I found out what the problem was. The graduation department responded to my email today. They didn't receive clearance for my minor. I feel like a fool, because I my major doesn't require that you have a minor. But, I fulfilled the requirements for a chemistry minor so I put it down on my graduation application last november.

For some odd reason, I didn't think to go to the chemistry department and have them clear me as having fulfilled the requirements for the minor.

I've emailed the chemistry department, and we'll see what happens. My bad for assuming the graduation department was out to ruin my life, but a notification like that is such a shock.

So, at least SDNers can learn from my dumb mistake.

 

[Compass]

Your minor shouldn't stop you from graduating. At worst, you should be able to drop your minor and then be fully qualified to graduate.

 

[45408]

Okay. I found out what the problem was. The graduation department responded to my email today. They didn't receive clearance for my minor. I feel like a fool, because I my major doesn't require that you have a minor. But, I fulfilled the requirements for a chemistry minor so I put it down on my graduation application last november.

For some odd reason, I didn't think to go to the chemistry department and have them clear me as having fulfilled the requirements for the minor.

I've emailed the chemistry department, and we'll see what happens. My bad for assuming the graduation department was out to ruin my life, but a notification like that is such a shock.

So, at least SDNers can learn from my dumb mistake.

Yeah, I had to meet with chemistry faculty in order to declare a chemistry minor (I was a bio major).

 

[pietachok]

Okay. I found out what the problem was. The graduation department responded to my email today. They didn't receive clearance for my minor. I feel like a fool, because I my major doesn't require that you have a minor. But, I fulfilled the requirements for a chemistry minor so I put it down on my graduation application last november.

For some odd reason, I didn't think to go to the chemistry department and have them clear me as having fulfilled the requirements for the minor.

I've emailed the chemistry department, and we'll see what happens. My bad for assuming the graduation department was out to ruin my life, but a notification like that is such a shock.

So, at least SDNers can learn from my dumb mistake.

As GujuDoc pointed out, make sure that if you end up dropping the Chem Minor, you discuss it with the med school you plan to attend. Some certain schools, like U Utah, are really picky about this, and threaten to revoke your acceptance if you don't clear changes in planned education/EC's with them.

 

[nick_carraway]

As GujuDoc pointed out, make sure that if you end up dropping the Chem Minor, you discuss it with the med school you plan to attend. Some certain schools, like U Utah, are really picky about this, and threaten to revoke your acceptance if you don't clear changes in planned education/EC's with them.

Y'know, you bring up Utah a lot and I guess from your MDapps, you got interviewed there. My question is how were you applying? Looks to me like they only give 19 non-resident spots and those non-residents have to be from Idaho, be a URM, or apply to MD/PhD.

 

[1010btf]

Sorry for going a bit offtopic here, but lets say he was missing 2 courses... could he have taken them in the summer, and still graduate with no problem?(assuming he passes the classes and whatever?)

 

[Bacchus]

Sorry for going a bit offtopic here, but lets say he was missing 2 courses... could he have taken them in the summer, and still graduate with no problem?(assuming he passes the classes and whatever?)

You need a degree before matriculation. If those two classes were available to be taken and completed before matriculation then you have fulfilled your "requirements" prior to matriculation. Most, if not all schools, have requirements that are "by matriculation" requirements.

 

[clinicallabguy]

I got hold of the chemistry department and the secretary cleared me over the phone after I gave her my student number. I called the graduation department and my degree is now posted on my unofficial transcript online.

I guess I had no reason to panic. I'm glad that's resolved.

 

[Compass]

Heh, my school sent me certified mail, and my parents were teed off finding out I "wouldn't graduate" because I hadn't "completed my general education requirements."

Which I had completed... Oof.