College-bound seniors beware: If you slept through your classes this semester and have the failing grades to prove it, your university may soon threaten to rescind your admission this fall. For students admitted to Texas Christian University, a notice informally known as the “fear of God letter” will read something like this:
Dear Joe: We recently received your final high school transcript. While your overall academic background continues to demonstrate the potential for success, we are concerned with your performance during the senior year, particularly in calculus. University studies are rigorous and we need to know that you are prepared to meet T.C.U.’s academic challenges. With this in mind, I ask that you submit to me, as soon as possible but no later than July 31, 2012, a written statement detailing the reasons surrounding your senior year performance. Joe, please understand that your admission to T.C.U. is in jeopardy. If I do not hear from you by the above date, I will assume you are no longer interested in T.C.U. and will begin the process of rescinding your admission. Please realize that your personal and academic successes are very important to us. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Raymond A. Brown Dean Of the
1,825 incoming freshmen at T.C.U., about 100 students — all of them ailing with senioritis — will soon receive a “F.O.G. letter” in July, Mr. Brown said. “It’s a wake-up call,” he said. The above example is the tough version, sent to honor-roll students whose grades plummeted to Ds and Fs. The university also sends softer versions of the letter to A and B students who suddenly get Cs in the spring semester, Mr. Brown said. Large public universities may lack the manpower to check thousands of final transcripts, which may give students at large the false impression that they can get away with lackluster final performances, post-admission, Mr. Brown said. But at smaller, private schools, the final grades not only count, but they’re also called out every summer if they’re not up to par. And if the students’ responses are not convincingly contrite, they may have to enroll elsewhere.
High school teachers, what are your thoughts?
