"Congratulations" is not a binding contract

Today, all of us advisors were sent an email on procedures and policies regarding admissions cancellations. To put it simply, they told us exactly how students can turn a "yes" from their college admissions office into a resounding "NO".

The biggest reason for university to rescind their admissions is SENIORITIS.

Senioritis is real and it is no joke. Just because you have been accepted to college does not mean that everything is set and done and nothing matters anymore. On the contrary, colleges, universities, and even employers are watching you even closer now that they have accepted you as a part of their institution. Keeping grades up is crucial to getting and staying accepted, up until the day you move into the dorms or apartments. Yes, they even look at any summer community college coursework you take.

The FSU freshman enrollment information brochure (sent with the acceptance letter) states the following:

A downward trend in your senior year grades, any grade below C, and/or any change in your senior schedule involving academic courses could result in your offer of admission being rescinded. In addition, if your cumulative college grade point average (including dual enrollment) is below 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale), your admission will be rescinded.

The FSU transfer enrollment information brochure (sent with the acceptance letter) states the following:

AA: If you have been admitted subject to the completion of the AA Degree, you must send us your final transcript with the degree posted immediately upon graduation. If you do not expect to receive the AA Degree, you must notify us. Without the AA Degree, your admission is subject to cancellation.

Other: If you have been admitted subject to final college transcript(s), this information must be received immediately upon completion of coursework. If you are unable to meet the conditions of admission (GPA requirement stated in acceptance letter), you must notify us. Your offer of admission is subject to cancellation.

A True Story:

Today, I had to email a girl whom I had JUST checked off as having completed her three day orientation. She had gone through the long ordeal, been assigned a dorm, met her future roommate, and even registered for her classes for the fall. I sent her an email, however, that would undo all of it. I had to let her know that her admissions has been rescinded and she would no longer be able to attend florida state university.

This is a big deal. It's June. By this time, she would have notified all other schools that she would not be attending, and cancelled her admissions at those institutions. Moreover, once any other institution saw her final term grades, they too would likely renig on their offer. What can she do? One of her very VERY limited options is to attend Community College and hope to transfer in the future, but as you can see from the information I posted above that the same reastrictions apply.

I hope to never have to send an email like that again, but I am sure that it is inevitable that I will. Your high school teachers were not kidding when they said Senioritis isn't a joke. Don't let this sad story happen to you.