Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Greetings,
My name is Shiv Parekh and I am writing this appeal regarding my Fall term extenuating circumstance which drastically impacted my ability to perform to my maximum academic potential. As an overseas citizen of Canada residing in the United States of America, I decided to reconnect with my country and choose to come back for my university education. Throughout my life I have been an excellent academic student, scoring in the 98th percentile on my SATs, earning a Queen's Excellence scholarship, and admission to the Honors Bachelor of Science Program. When I arrived here, I became sick the first week here as the environment and the weather was very different. Being a first year, in a new country, it was very difficult to seek medical help, and no one to look to or advise me. I continued to be sick for weeks to come and it would get better and then I would fall sick again after spending time outside. I had a constant cough for months, which is still an issue, and unaware of the education system here, it was very difficult to keep up and I started to fall behind. I was advised to seek academic consideration and I did just that. Little did I know this wouldn't be my last time. Throughout the fall term, I kept getting sick, losing more than 20 pounds of body weight in the first month and a half I was here. As a result, I started to struggle with body dysmorphia, and being constantly sick and having a weak immune system made it very difficult for me to attend my lectures and keep up with my work. My whole mental focus shifted and I wasn't myself anymore, struggling with depression and the chain of events pushed me into a very dark and empty mental place. This carried on until the final week when I fell sick to the point where getting out of my bed was a very difficult mental and physical task, and I reached out to the student wellness center for an appointment. My finals were deferred. Not being able to go back home, as my family had to visit India because of personal issues, I started to spiral and was in a place where I never thought I would get out of. Being stuck here the whole reading break, alone, I had time to self-heal and reflect and give myself a purpose. I realized that there was nothing I could do about my physical challenges, but instead, I had to focus on my mental health and gradually improve myself and get to a point where I was 3 to 4 months ago. As the winter term started, I finished my deferred exams and prepared for a new beginning. I retook my ANAT 100 course which I failed in the first term and right now I am on track to pass the course with a C- to B-. I also took PHAR 100 and BIO 103 as they would help me in my premed path. Currently, I am also on track to pass those courses with a C- to B-, even an A- is a possibility. I got in touch with PASS advising and other upper years and organized many group studies. I refused to let my academic performance in the first term dictate my academic year. My physical health has improved and currently, I only have a mild cough but I know that my mental health is key to my physical health. I strongly believe that my extenuating circumstances in the fall term carried on to my winter term as well if not worse, as the weather conditions got worse. But the only difference was I learned to adapt and improve and am in a mental space where I need to get back to being the straight-A student I was. I started getting advise from my family doctor, who also helped me and advised me during fall term. While talking to an ASC Academic Advisor about improving my GPA and getting me back on track, she suggested I should appeal after she heard the reasons why my fall term was so academically lacking. This appeal isn't an excuse to find an easy way out but a request to allow me to take the hard way and prove myself. Of all the courses mentioned above, I have already retaken ANAT 100 and will achieve a satisfactory grade in it, I will be retaking MATH 121 over the summer as well, intending to achieve an A. I will also take 2 other electives, which would make space for chem 112 to be taken in the second year. As far as physics is concerned, I will choose a term in the second year where I will take 6 courses instead of 5. I plan to enter 2nd year with 24 completed credits and a 3.0 or higher GPA and pursue my dream of medical school. I have researched many clubs in the winter term which I plan to join next year, for example, Queens Pre-med Association, EDGE, and ACE(DECA). Regardless of how my finals go, I will be retaking MATH 121 and CHEM 112 even though they are a full year course because the grade I'll achieve will not truly represent my academic knowledge as half the course is fall term and was impacted by extenuating circumstances. I am aware that I am asking for a lot but even a little assistance from your side in my journey would drastically help me. I am not an individual that lets even extenuating circumstances define me, but in this case, I was advised to apply for an appeal as it could save me from academic probation or withdrawal. I am at a place where achieving all A's is all I think about, it has given my life a purpose again, which was replaced in the fall term with depression and physical illness, and incompetencies. As a student of this great academic institution, I sincerely request you give me a chance to prove to you and myself that I belong here and allow me to reach my academic potential. I won't disappoint you, or more importantly, disappoint myself again. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Shiv Parekh