Cornell University is among the most prestigious institutions of high learning in the country. You know what a degree from this school means. When you graduate, you'll have the world by the tail.
That's the trick, though, isn't it: graduating? After all, not everyone who's admitted to Cornell finishes. Graduating means making steady academic progress from start to finish, and that's sometimes easier said than done. Stumbling blocks come up; life intervenes; calculus happens. In short, we all make mistakes.
If you're struggling with academic progression issues at Cornell, you need to know there's help available. Joseph D. Lento is one of the premier Student Defense attorney-advisors in the country. You may never have considered how an attorney-advisor can help you, but Joseph D. Lento's experience working with students and his knowledge of how academic bureaucracy operates means he's uniquely qualified to get your academic career back on track. Whether you're negotiating for a better grade or fighting a dismissal decision, Joseph D. Lento knows what you're up against, and he's ready to help.
Academic Progression Requirements at Cornell University
Progress at Cornell is based on academic standing. As long as you're in good academic standing, you won't have any problem moving forward from one semester to the next. Fail to meet standards, though, and you could find yourself facing a warning or worse.
Just what are the standards at Cornell? There are three.
- You must complete—not just attempt, but complete—12 hours of coursework each semester.
- You must earn no worse than one D each semester.
- You must earn at least a C—not a C- – in 100 of the 120 credits required for your degree.
Failure to meet any one of these standards typically means an academic warning. That warning is posted to your academic record, though it is not reported to the registrar's office and does not show up on your transcript.
Failure to return to good academic standing after a warning usually results in a required leave of absence from the school. In fact, you can be forced to take a leave of absence even without a warning if you are in serious academic distress. Leaves of absence normally last for a full year. Students are allowed to return to Cornell, but only after documenting what they did on leave and how they plan to address the problems that led to their dismissal. Required leaves of absence are noted on your transcript.
Finally, you can also be required to withdraw entirely from the university for serious or continued academic distress. Again, withdrawal typically comes after a warning or a leave of absence, but this is not always the case.
Decision Processes
As the Cornell Registrar's Office Policies and Procedures make clear, decisions regarding academic standing are ultimately in the hands of academic advisors or the college faculty's Committee on Academic Records. In most cases, however, these decisions are foregone conclusions based on the facts—the number of courses you complete during the semester and your grades.
Of course, this does not mean such decisions can't be challenged or appealed. Instructors make mistakes, and it is possible to request grade changes. Some instructors are willing to change a semester grade if you can present them with compelling evidence of why they deserve higher scores. Or, they may be willing to issue you an Incomplete (I) and give you time to make up missing assignments.
In addition, the Policies and Procedures note that the Committee on Academic Records does, on occasion, make exceptions to academic standing requirements in extraordinary cases.
Joseph D. Lento knows all the options and can help you make the best decision moving forward. He can also coach you in negotiating with faculty and help you gather evidence to build your case.
Should you be given a leave of absence, Joseph D. Lento can help you put together your materials for requesting readmission. In worst-case scenarios, he can also help you to appeal any withdrawal decisions.
SAP Standards
Academic standing may not be your only concern as a student at Cornell. If you receive financial aid, you are also subject to the school's Satisfactory Academic Progress or SAP policy.
SAP policies are mandated by the federal government to help ensure that no one can take advantage of the financial aid system. All schools, though, set their own individual criteria. Cornell conducts its SAP review annually after the Spring semester and uses three criteria to make decisions.
- Maximum time frame: First, you must complete your degree within 150 percent of the “published length of the program.” Most degrees at Cornell require 120 credits. This means you must complete your degree within 180 attempted credits.
- Completion rate: In addition, you must complete at least 67 percent of all attempted credits.
- Finally, you must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Failing to meet any one of these standards means losing financial aid. Of course, you will still be able to continue as a student, assuming you are meeting the standing requirements, but many students find it hard to continue once their aid has been cut off.
You can reestablish financial aid by raising your GPA and/or the percentage of courses you've completed. Once you've reached the maximum number of credits, aid cannot be restored.
In addition, you can appeal the denial of financial aid to continue receiving aid for one additional semester. This process involves submitting an explanation for your failure to meet standards along with supporting documentation. Here again, an experienced attorney-advisor can be vital for helping you put these materials together.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor
Students often feel they are on their own at college, that if they find themselves in trouble—especially academically—there's no help out there for them. That's not true. The right attorney-advisor knows lots of ways to get your academic career back on track.
If you should find yourself facing dismissal or even probation, take action. Making a mistake doesn't have to ruin what you've accomplished up to this point. Joseph D. Lento has represented hundreds of students just like you in academic progress cases. He knows the procedures, and he can offer suggestions for how to use them to your advantage. If you or your child is facing dismissal, or even if you have already been dismissed, you owe it to yourself to learn about what options might be available to you. To find out more, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
