With the deadline to accept a University admission decision approaching, prospective students should keep in mind admission decisions are not concrete.

At the University, acceptances are offered contingent upon an incoming student’s agreement to maintain the academic standing and criminal record with which they were admitted.

Decreases in academic performance, failure to report criminal offenses and unapproved schedule changes are factors that the University monitors. If the University discovers an applicant was dishonest on their application, they may retract the offer of admission.

“All admission offers are made on a provisional basis and the offer of admission can be rescinded up to the first day of class,” said Andy Borst, director of undergraduate admission, in an email. “If we discover information after the first day of class that would have led to a recession decision, then students are referred to the Office of the Dean of Students and recommended for dismissal.”

The decision to determine if a student is no longer a suitable candidate for admission is typically firm and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions reviews each student individually to come to a conclusion, Borst said.

However, the University gives students an opportunity to explain their situations before an offer is rescinded.

Rescinding an admissions decision from the University is rare, Borst said.

“Less than 1 percent of students will have their offer of admission rescinded,” he said. “This is usually about 20 to 25 students a year out of 7,500 to 8,000 who accept their offer of admission.”

Aaron Chun, college and career center counselor at Centennial High School in Champaign, Illinois, said communication with seniors regarding expectations after high school will help them stay on track after being admitted to college.

“Once they are in the real world, there is no such thing as senioritis,” Chun said in an email. “If they slack off, come late, are lazy, or show any other symptoms of this disease, they will not have a favorable outcome in their career.”

Maintaining a high grade point average and remaining in good academic standing is important for students to keep in mind upon accepting an admissions offer, said Rebecca Miller, St. Thomas Moore High School guidance counselor.

“From my experience, I have seen that if an A student happens to get a couple B’s or C’s on their report cards, it’s not that big of a deal,” Miller said. “When that same student gets C’s, D’s or F’s, that’s when they should start to worry.”

Guidance counselors pay close attention to seniors’ attendance and get notified when they miss a homework assignment that can significantly impact their grades, Miller said.

“As a school counselor, I can explain if there are severe circumstances behind a drastic change in a student’s GPA,” Miller said. “Sometimes, they can be sympathetic or put the student on academic probation.”

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