You got into Carnegie Mellon University. That's an impressive achievement, one you're right to be proud of. It's worth remembering, though: getting into Carnegie Mellon doesn't guarantee success there. Each year hundreds of students drop out or are dismissed, never to return. If you want to earn a degree from Carnegie Mellon, you have to make steady academic progress, course after course, term after term, year after year.
Of course, we all make mistakes. We all have times in our life when academics isn't our first priority. We all take those courses where we just can't seem to wrap our brains around the subject matter. These moments shouldn't cost you your chance to earn a degree.
If you're struggling academically, facing probation, suspension, or dismissal, don't give up. The National Student Defense team at LLF Law Firm, is here to help. They can't take your courses for you, but they can make sure you are treated fairly, that you get a chance to defend yourself and your record, and that, ultimately, you have the very best opportunity to get things back on track and graduate.
Academic Progression Requirements at Carnegie Mellon
Your high school could hold you back if you failed a course, but it couldn't kick you out. Unfortunately, that's not how college works. Make too many mistakes, and you could be placed on probation. Continue to make mistakes, and you could lose your spot at Carnegie Mellon.
Each of the university's several schools and colleges has its own set of criteria for determining academic standing. Most of these resemble that of the Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. There, good standing requires
- A cumulative GPA of at least 1.75 during your freshman year and a GPA of at least 2.0 during your remaining years.
- The completion of 45 to 49 units of course credit per semester.
Failure to meet these standards means Academic Probation. Academic probation typically lasts one semester. If you're unable to correct your deficiencies during the course of this semester, you are subject to Academic Suspension.
Suspension typically lasts two semesters, but you may only return to Carnegie Mellon after applying for readmission. Necessary application materials include a written request, a description of your activities while on suspension, a petition form, transcripts of any coursework you completed while on suspension, job performance ratings from any work you may have undertaken, and at least three references from individuals you've studied or worked with.
Finally, though, you can also be dropped entirely from Carnegie Mellon. This normally happens after the second period of Academic Probation. However, as the Dietrich College policy notes, you can also be dismissed simply for failing to be responsive to academic warnings.
The Decision Process at Carnegie Mellon
Most decisions regarding academic standing at Carnegie Mellon are made based purely on numbers. That is, you either have a high enough GPA and a sufficient number of course credits at the end of a semester, or you don't. However, there is some room for negotiation. The Dietrich College guidelines, for example, suggest that a student on probation can earn a second semester of probation, even if they are still not meeting standards, provided they've shown significant progress in reaching those standards.
There are other ways to address the possibility of academic probation, suspension, or dismissal, though. One of the easiest fixes is simply to ask an instructor to reconsider your coursework from the previous term. Professors can and do make mistakes, and one changed grade could raise your GPA enough to keep you in good standing. Likewise, some faculty are open to assigning Incomplete grades while you finish extra credit assignments or makeup work.
The LLF Law Firm knows which options will work best for you, given your particular circumstances. If they can't talk to faculty or advisors directly, they can coach you on how to negotiate and help you gather evidence to back up your claims. Of course, if the worst should happen and you should find yourself dismissed from the university, the LLF Law Firm can also help you put your readmission packet together
SAP Standards
If you receive financial aid, there's one more set of academic standards you need to know about. The federal government requires all colleges and universities to maintain what's known as an SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) Policy. The goal of such policies is to limit how much federal support a student may receive and ensure that no one is able to take undue advantage of government funds.
Carnegie Mellon evaluates students at the end of each semester. Criteria mirror those of academic standing. That is, freshmen must attain at least a 1.75 cumulative GPA, while sophomores, juniors, and seniors must keep a 2.0 cumulative GPA. In addition, no student may continue to receive aid once they have taken 150 percent of the course credits necessary to complete a degree.
Ordinarily, failing to meet SAP standards means losing aid, beginning with the fall semester. However, there is an appeals process for those students who may have extenuating circumstances that caused their deficiencies. A successful appeal allows you one probation semester in which you can continue to receive aid while you bring yourself into compliance with SAP criteria.
Many students need financial aid and can't continue without it. Thus SAP decisions can be every bit as important as any other decisions about your academic progress. If you're worried about losing your funding or if you've already been told you're ineligible for funding, the LLF Law Firm may be able to help.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor
Many students feel they are on their own once they enroll in college. If they find themselves in trouble—especially academic trouble—they just assume they have to handle it by themselves. They don't know how to go about fighting the system, though. They're overwhelmed by bureaucracy, and in the end, they wind up simply accepting probation, suspension, dismissal, or the loss of financial aid, even when they may have better options.
The fact is, there are many ways to deal with academic issues. A bad semester doesn't have to mean the end of your career at Carnegie Mellon. The LLF Law Firm has represented hundreds of students just like you in academic progress cases. He knows the processes, 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 LLF Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
