It can be a difficult task to write an appeal letter. In this situation, school requirements were not satisfied, yet you desire to get a second chance.Perhaps a family emergency occurred or you were dealing with an illness, which caused your grades to suffer, and you feel the school administration could have done more to help while you were experiencing difficulties. It is a challenge not to include negative statements in your letter, but you must keep an appeal letter neutral in tone and professional or else you may not retain your status in the program.Use our letter of appeal for nursing school templates as your guide to writing a straightforward and respectful letter that thoroughly explains what happened and the subsequent situation that you want to appeal.
Letter of Appeal for Nursing School Template
Nancy wrote a letter of appeal in order to stay in nursing school. Poor performance in practicum rotations, failing grades, and her unsatisfactory attendance record have plagued her in the past term. She explains her situation and appeals to take the term over again.
Dear College of Nursing Appeal Board,
I am appealing to stay in the nursing program and re-take the past term’s coursework.
This past term, my uncle tragically passed away suddenly. In addition to the shock and grief the whole family suffered, my aunt was the child care provider for my two small children, ages five months and two years. With my uncle suddenly gone, my aunt could no longer cope with the responsibility of caring for children in her home. This forced me to miss lectures while I made other accommodations for my children.
I thought the disruption was temporary because I was actively looking for an acceptable childcare situation. Then, my youngest child got extremely ill with Strep B. I had to care for her and was unable to pursue child care options. I continued to miss lectures and practicum rotations until she got better. As she improved, I was able to make child care arrangements for the rest of the term, but I was too far behind to catch up and failed the final exam.
This past term has taught me how quickly life can change and has actually helped me become a more organized person. I now have my children enrolled in a quality daycare center with a backup plan in case they get sick. Before this past term, I have maintained a satisfactory grade point average of 3.4. I know that I can go back to my previous level of performance with this new plan in place.
Sincerely,
Nancy Meyers
How To Write a Letter of Appeal for Nursing School
When writing your letter of appeal for nursing school, keep in mind that you need to explain the reasons for poor performance and attendance while not making superfluous excuses. This can be a difficult balance, but it is necessary to do to achieve the tone you are looking for in your letter.
The audience for your letter, usually the appeals board, will look for the unavoidable circumstances that led you to the point of failing the term and how you reacted to them. The letter is not the place to critique the school administration’s policies, as it is your only opportunity to state your case to retain your student status.
At the beginning of the letter, simply state what you are asking for. In the letter of appeal for nursing school template, Nancy requests continued status as a student in the college of nursing and a chance to retake coursework from the previous term. She then goes on to explain the chain of events that culminated in her failing grades. Throughout her account, she explains the thing she did to rectify the situation (looking for other childcare) without making hollow excuses or shifting blame.
Remember, it is okay to make a simple statement of error in your letter like Nancy does in the template. She states that now she is more organized and has a backup childcare plan for her children. Her reflection on her experience helps the letter end on a strong and hopeful note. It shows that she learned from her adverse experience and is ready to move on with new skills and perspectives.
What To Avoid in Your Letter of Appeal for Nursing School
When you are writing your letter of appeal for nursing school, be careful to avoid exaggerating the crisis that caused your school performance to spiral downward. A simple presentation of the facts will suffice and will be more acceptable than a dramatized rendition of the truth.
This letter is a chance to show that you are a competent student preparing for a professional career. Grammar and spelling mistakes on a letter of this importance are not acceptable and will encourage a negative impression of your skills. Do not submit the letter without having at least one other person proofread your work, and make sure to utilize an online program to check out your writing.
Certainly, show respect to the addressees of the letter, but resist the temptation to grovel. In addition to making them feel uncomfortable, it makes you seem disingenuous. Simple sincerity is key for this type of letter.
How To Follow Up After Sending Your Letter of Appeal for Nursing School
The appeals board of your nursing school will respond to your letter of appeal with a request for a personal interview or a decision regarding your status. Assuming that your letter preserves your status at the school, make sure that you are clear about what actions you need to take. Find out if you are on an academic probation and what procedures you need to complete to restore your normal student status. Make sure to ask about any post-appeal paperwork that you need to fill out. If you do not win your appeal, find out if there is another form of appeal recourse that you can take.
Top 5 Letter of Appeal for Nursing School Writing Takeaways
1. Make your appeal straightforward
Win points for your appeal by being straightforward about what you are asking for from the beginning of your letter. With something as crucial to your future as an appeal, you do not want the readers searching for the purpose of your letter.
2. Explain your situation, but do not make excuses
A reader of your letter is more likely to sympathize with your situation if you simply explain what happened. Making excuses about lack of time or others not shouldering extra responsibility for you will make you seem unwilling to accept your part in the issue.
3. Point out your long-term track record
If your difficulties are recent like Nancy’s, point out your record of satisfactory school performance over the long term. This can assure an appeals board that your recent issues with school performance are just an anomaly.
4. Tell how the situation has changed
Imperative to an appeal letter is the fact that you can perform better in the future because you have made changes in your work habits or living situation, or your health has improved. Make sure to include these facts in your letter.
5. Make sure you include a plan for success
Let the nursing department administration know that you have a plan so that you will be successful this time around. This will demonstrate that you have learned from your difficulties.
