If you're a student at Yale University, you're to be congratulated. You made it into a school that accepts just five percent of all applicants. That doesn't just happen. It means you have smarts. It also means you are hard-working, disciplined, and dedicated.
Now is no time to let up, though. Getting into Yale is impressive, but it isn't the same as graduating from Yale. That takes even more hard work, discipline, and dedication. Coursework can be difficult; professors can be demanding; and, let's face it, over the course of four years, life is going to intervene occasionally. You're going to get sick or wreck your car or go through a difficult breakup, and you're going to struggle. We all make mistakes—even Yale students.
Don't let a difficult semester or two define who you are. If you're struggling academically, facing probation, or even dismissal, there's help out there. National Student Defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento specializes in helping students get their careers back on track. He knows how university processes work; he knows how to talk to faculty and administrators; he knows how to protect your rights as a student. Joseph D. Lento has helped hundreds of students succeed. He can help you too.
Academic Progression Requirements at Yale University
The key to moving forward at Yale or any other university is steady progress from semester to semester and year to year. That comes down to staying in “good” academic standing.
Yale's primary requirement for good academic standing is to complete—not just attempt, but complete—at least four credits each semester during your first two years and five credits each semester after that. In addition, you can be placed in “Academic Warning” status for earning more than one F in a given term or earning an F in two successive terms.
Should you receive an F while on Academic Warning, you can be dismissed from Yale for up to a year and required to apply for reinstatement. You can also be dismissed, even if you are not on Academic Warning, if
- You fail three classes in one semester
- You are short of the minimum credit requirements by more than two credits
Decision Processes
In most cases, Warning status and dismissal happen automatically. That is, should your credits or grades fall below the minimum standards, you can expect to receive a sanction.
However, there are means of fighting these sanctions. For instance, you can appeal any dismissal to the Committee on Honors and Academic Standing, and if the committee believes there are extenuating circumstances that explain your situation, it may allow you additional time to make up deficiencies.
There are other possible approaches as well if you're facing Warning status or dismissal. Faculty do make mistakes, for instance. It may be that simply asking a professor to re-calculate your grade could turn an F into a D. An instructor may be willing to reconsider the scores they gave you over the course of the semester. Occasionally, an instructor is willing to issue an Incomplete while you complete extra credit or makeup assignments.
Joseph D. Lento knows all the options that are available to you, and he knows which ones will work best in your particular situation. Whether you're looking to negotiate with a professor or you're filing a formal appeal, Joseph D. Lento can help you prepare your arguments and gather your evidence so you'll have the best possible chance of success.
SAP Standards
If you receive financial aid at Yale University, there's one more set of academic standards you need to know about, known as an SAP, or Satisfactory Academic Progress, policy. The federal government requires all schools have such a policy to put restrictions on how much money a student can receive in pursuit of a degree.
Each Yale school has its own SAP standards. For instance, students in the School of Architecture must maintain at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. In addition, they must complete at least 50 percent of the courses they attempt. Further, they must complete their degree within 200 percent of the minimum time necessary for fulling degree requirements.
Failure to meet SAP requirements means being placed on Financial Aid Warning status for a semester. Failure to meet requirements during this warning semester means you become ineligible for aid.
You can appeal ineligibility to the Dean's office, and if this office believes you have extenuating circumstances that warrant it, you'll be placed on Financial Aid Probation. This allows you an additional term to receive aid while you work to improve your academics.
Losing your financial aid does not, in and of itself, impact your status as a student. That is, you can still continue at Yale and ultimately get your degree. However, students who lose aid often find it difficult to continue at school. Appeals processes can be tricky, and with so much at stake, you can't afford to try to handle a financial aid case on your own. Joseph D. Lento isn't just skilled and dealing with academic standing issues. He's also familiar with how Yale University's financial aid office works. If you're worried about whether or not your financial support is safe, Joseph D. Lento can evaluate your situation and explain your options.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor
Students sometimes feel they are on their own once they enroll in college, and if they find themselves in trouble—especially academic trouble—there's just no help out there for them. They simply accept probation, suspension, dismissal, or the loss of financial aid without putting up a fight.
The fact is, there are ways to deal with these issues. A bad semester doesn't have to mean the end of your academic career. Joseph D. Lento 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 Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
