Dropped Status: how to tell

How to find out if you've been dropped

How to find out if you are dropped for one year:
When you have been dropped by Letters & Science and the University of Wisconsin - Madison, this means that you have had at least two consecutive semesters/term grade point averages of less than 2.0 and will not be allowed to continue at the University for at least one year.

The University does not drop students to "punish" them for poor grades. Experience tells us that students who have been dropped from UW-Madison find time away from school to be an important, positive factor for later academic success. Many students find a new academic environment away from UW-Madison. Whether you take time off from school or attend another institution, you may wish to appeal to return to UW-Madison in the future. If you wish to be considered for immediate readmission, you must appeal your dropped action through the Appeals Process.

Letters & Science students who have spent at least a year away from school and want to be "readmitted" need to fill out a "reenty/readmission" application through the Office of Admissions, and then make an appointment with an L&S Assistant Dean in 70 Bascom.

How can I tell I've been dropped?
*How do I know if I am on probation?* Look on your unofficial transcript – your academic probation status will be noted at the bottom of your transcript and/or at the bottom of the term you were placed on probation or strict probation.

*How do I find my transcript?* Go to “MY UW” student center and click on “Request Student Record.” Your transcript will be sent to your email account. Once received, look at the bottom and it will tell you if you are on academic probation or strict probation as well as the date the probation occurred.

*How do I tell if I've been dropped or if I might be dropped: If your transcript says "Strict Probation" - you must achieve a 2.0 this term in order to continue to the next term (includes Summer enrollment as well as Fall). If your transcript says "Probation"- you must achieve at least a 1.5 GPA in order to continue, but this next term you will be placed on strict probation. If this is your situation you are not dropped for one year at this point and have another semester to recover.

*Your transcript will not say "Dropped for one year" if all of your grades have NOT been recorded yet (if you have an "NR" grade, for example). You will need to look at your GPA and calculate what you expect in your unrecorded classes to figure out if you might be dropped. Your drop status won't be official until all of your grades have been recorded.

GPA Calculator (School of Business Site, but applicable for L&S students too).
CCAS Grade Calculator

This is a helpful table:

If a student is:	Academic Status
Not on Probation; term GPA of 1.00 - 1.99	Probation
Not on Probation; term GPA < 1.00	Strict Probation
On Probation; term GPA of 1.50 - 1.99	Strict Probation
On Probation; term GPA < 1.50	Dropped for 1 year
On Strict Probation; term GPA < 2.00	Dropped for 1 year

I've been dropped from the University for one year. What are my options?
A: Take a year off from UW-Madison
B: Appeal the mandatory drop from UW-Madison

A: Take Time Off: Many students decide to take a break from UW Madison or school in general to work and refocus. They find the time away rewarding and for many who perhaps go to another institution or spend time working, find better fulfillment in the short-term. Regardless of what you choose to do, you can apply for readmission to UW-Madison after one year. For application deadlines please see the Office of Admissions. Also, remember, that other UW institutions/campuses will not admit a student who has been recently dropped from UW-Madison. You will still need to wait one year before applying to that school. This time off allows students the opportunity to experience academic success elsewhere. If there are medical, financial, or personal issues, the year off provides time to get those problems solved. If you are an international student and want to pursue studies at another institution, you should apply to that school as soon as possible in order to get all of your paperwork transferred in time.

B: Appeal the Drop: First, remember, the University did not drop you to punish you. The University drops students because it has noticed a pattern in your grades spanning several semesters of poor academic performance. It's an attempt to correct the downward spiral so that you can be successful and graduate. That said, if you feel there were circumstances beyond your control that have been addressed and that you have a specific plan for academic success for the upcoming semester, you may appeal the drop and for immediate re-entry consideration to UW Madison.

For any student interesting appeal his/her drop, you will need to pursue the following steps:

Fill out the webform before Deadlines stated on the form. (Because appeals are a one-day event, late submissions cannot be considered).
Bring supporting documentation of how your circumstances have changed. For example, if it's medical, bring medical documentation.
Arrive promptly (or early) for your appointment. If you are serious about appealing your drop status, be respectful of your appointment time. We take students as they arrive. Also remember that some appointments take longer, so if you have to wait, understand that we are going to get to your appointment as soon as possible. If you want to meet with someone ahead of your appeal or to discuss whether appealing might make sense, please call for an appointment.

Remember, the process of being dropped takes more than one term. And the process of academic recovery also takes more than one term. Therefore something that happened to you over the course of your poor academic performance is less likely to be episodic. There are certain behaviors that will not go away no matter how much you pledge to us that you will correct them in "the next term" if only we give you a chance to continue.

Extenuating Circumstances that have been SUCCESSFUL appeals:*

Sustained illness that has now been cured and/or treated;
Sustained financial problems that have now been resolved;
Personal trauma which you are now being treated and will continue treatment.

Circumstances which, in general, are not considered extenuating for a successful appeal:

I didn't like my major and now I've finally decided what to do;
I was partying a lot during the week and sleeping through my morning classes;
There was a sudden death in my family and now I'm ready to work (remember, if it's a long-standing illness that took focus away, then that's another story, but be prepared to document this to the committee);
I didn't get along with my roommates;
I didn't like my classes;
I'm only a science major (pre-med, pre-business, history, etc.) because my parents want me to be;
My parents will be upset with me if I don't get readmitted and they are forcing me to come to Appeal.

Committees make their decisions on whether or not to readmit students for the next term based on whether they feel that the circumstances were:

Extraordinary: and therefore, out of the student's control;
Whether the student will be able to (and has already shown evidence to) correct their academic course and be successful;
And whether these circumstances are likely to reappear and lead to another "Strict Probation" or Drop Status before the student reaches graduation.

* If one of these reasons matches your extenuating circumstance there is still no guarantee that it will be successful. Every case is judged on a case-by-case basis.

I've been readmitted!
Your course enrollment will not be discontinued for the upcoming semester(s) and you will be placed on Strict Probation. (See rules above for your GPA in the next term(s). You must get above a 2.0 the next term and you will remain on academic probation until your overall cumulative GPA clears 2.0.

My drop as been sustained!
You course enrollment will automatically be withdrawn from the upcoming semester(s). You will also need to work with housing (land-lords or UW Housing) to determine your status and move out if applicable.

I don't want to appeal my drop. What now?
If you decide not to appeal your drop and take the mandatory one-year time off from UW-Madison (or if your appeal was not successful), what you do next is entirely up to you. You can continue schooling elsewhere, you can work, you can do some soul-searching, etc. Many students take classes at another school or work full time. Regardless, if and when you decide you would like to come back to UW-Madison and continue your studies, you can apply for readmission through the Office of Admissions. You will have to make an appointment with an Assistant Dean to get their certification for you to return. It's almost like an "entrance interview" to talk about why you were dropped and what you've done since taking time off. If you've attended another school, we'll ask you to bring a copy of those transcripts for us to review.

Can I appeal my drop before the mandatory one-year time is up?
Unfortunately, no. If you do not Appeal for readmission the following term (summer is excluded, meaning if you are dropped the end of the spring term, you can appeal before Summer so you can register for Fall), then you must wait out the entire year prior to applying for readmission to UW. Check the Office of Admissions for deadlines to get those readmission applications submitted.

READMISSION TERMS

Student will demonstrate competency in the MY UW Student Center by logging in, navigating and locating course enrollment and student record information.
Student will demonstrate the capacity to use his/her University of Wisconsin email account to receive and reply to University notices.
Student will demonstrate comprehension of information provided in and the ability to complete a Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS). Student will establish knowledge of his/her remaining number of credits to graduate and determine and declare a major area of study.
As is required by all students seeking early readmission to the University, Student will submit a personal statement (1-2 typed pages) to an assistant dean that briefly describes:

the factors and circumstances that led to poor academic performance;how these factors and circumstances have already been addressed and resolved;why the student believes s/he has a realistic chance of succeeding academically and;the student's plans for returning to school and completing a degree, including a specific list of the courses the student plans to enroll in for the spring semester.

In the personal statement Student will provide acknowledgement that in accordance with standard readmission procedures he/she will be placed on strict academic probation and must earn a minimum of 2.0 term grade point average in order to continue attending the University.

** All readmitted students, regardless of whether they were readmitted through appeals or after the one-year hiatus are readmitted with the understanding that they are on STRICT ACADEMIC PROBATION and will be dropped again if they do not achieve a 2.0 in their first returning term at UW-Madison.