Readmission letter

[Mr.T]

Okay so here's my situation: last semester my GPA was really low because I've had some financial difficulties, and work really got in the way of my studies, so I was academically dismissed by my university.
Things got better now, and after taking a semester off (policy for readmission) I want to finish my education and pursue my degree, but in order to do so I have to write an essay to the university stating the reasons that lead to my poor GPA.
I'm swamped. English is not my first language and to top it off my writing skills are simply horrible, and I have no idea on how to structure this letter (has to be around 2 pages), how to not make it sound like an excuse and how to express that I really understand I fucked it up and if given a second chance I won't fail it.

Yes, I know I'm posting this on a forum that's mostly about videogames, but maybe some of you have had similar experiences in the past and could give me a few tips on how to do it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Seraph]

Tell them what you just told us, but make it 2 pages.

[TheShadyMan]

Tell them what you just told us, but make it 2 pages.

And staple a 20 to the letter.

[Neosutra]

Write up a draft and take it to the english library and have one of the TAs edit it before you send it in.

[Sepukku]

What University is this for?

[Dimmauk]

I google'd

Basically I need to write a letter begging my college to give me one more shot and not kick me out. My GPA has been really low for a while. I need a letter that states that I understand that I messed up greatly over the past year and that if given another chance will prove to them that I can do the work and make the school proud. I also need the letter to explain with out it sounding like an excuse some of the causes for why I have done so poorly ( the causes are listed above) and this is big it can not sound like I am not just making reasons for why I did badly but trying to explain them in a way the full picture is seen.

subject 1. Regret and taking responsibility for my performance in school thus far and expressing how deeply sorry I am for what I have done and I how understand all the things I took for granted and how wrong I was for taking such a great gift that was my education at American University and wasting it. Expressing that not all can be blamed on my medical, family or personal reasons while the might have played a part I am big enough person to admit that I failed myself and the school and how wrong I was to do so. I want to express how only children hide behind excuses and that I am adult and I see the error of my ways.

2. explaining my medical reasons, which is that I have a condition called Seasonal Affect disorder which is defined as "A mood disorder whose sufferers experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer, repeatedly, year after year" I need to explain that untreated it is very hard to deal and is one of the main causes for why I have done so poorly but with but now that I have the proper treatment that my issues should be no where as bad.

3.Personal life and Family issues. I have had 2 family deaths in the past year. My uncle (December) my grandmother(March)

My father has been down sized at his job, making not even half as much money of what he use to be and with two children in college and a wife with MS the bills got tight in a hurry

How I had a bad living situation, with roommates that did not understand all that I was going though and causes my condition to get worse at times.

Explain how I did not just party and drink away my college career and I was not some rich lucky kid who pissed it all down the drain for no good reason

a small side note fiance broke up with me towards the end of the school year which did not help much.

4. Improvements I have made in my life. They include finding a full time Doctor to manage my health. I also now have access to the medication and treatments I need to fight off the onset of my disorder so that the affects will be no where are bad as they use to be. A therapist to deal with the emotional issues associated with my disorder as well as other stresses in my life, a nutritionist and hired someone over the summer to build me a work out program which is a big part of dealing with this disorder comes the colder months. I also left went inactive in fraternity and I worked two jobs this summer to make sure I had enough money to live off of and not have to work a job while taking classes. I went to great lengths to find new housemates who were quieter and more understanding of my disorder. I have brought up my car to school to make it easier to get to class.

5. Why I want to come back. The reason is because I have worked really hard to try and get my life in order first and foremost. Also I am so close to being done as a student with only 5 classes left till I graduate and that if I was given one more chance I know I can prove that I belong here. Also I to express in this letter how badly I want my degree so because of the so of work I want to do and how with out this degree it will be nearly impossible for to do so. I want to talk about how I use to dream about this and it the reason why I came to school in DC in the first place. Talk about how I need this degree in order to archive my goal of working for the government or more importantly a non profit. That I have no desire to go to law school or anything like that but want to spend my life trying to make things a little better around here and work for a purpose not a pay check. Express how much better my life would be with a degree and how much I understand that.

6. Mistakes. I want to express how while I am adult who can accept and see the mistakes he has made that I am also only 22 years old I am still trying to find my place in life and learn to deal with all the issues that come with life. i want to express how everyone makes mistakes and you have to learn from them which I know I have and that college is the place where you make mistakes in your life but it is also the place where you can change your life for the better and how I want to continue to learn from life and what my professors have to offer me.

7. I want to express once again how deeply regretful I am for all of this and how if by some miracle of god I got a second chance that it would not be wasted on me. That I came here to do a job and earn a degree and nothing is going to stand in my way and that I will make American University proud and my parents proud but most of all my self doing it right and getting it done

8. I want to close with how much this means to me

[Mr.T]

Tell them what you just told us, but make it 2 pages.

Yeah, I know what to write, I "just" don't know how to do it properly, in a way that won't make them wonder why they got me in the first place, lol

What University is this for?

Western Michigan University

[Seraph]

Yeah, I know what to write, I "just" don't know how to do it properly, in a way that won't make them wonder why they got me in the first place, lol

Be honest, and explain yourself. There is no 'magic' thing you are going to say that will make everything all better. The purpose of the letter is to explain yourself. You obviously feel you were the victim of special circumstances, so go tell them that. Just make sure you have someone proofread it before you officially turn it in.

I think you are making a mountain of a molehill, as they say.

[Silenka]

Just tell them you're Mr. T, the awesomeness Mr. T inspires will take hold of them and they will accept you without even reading the letter.

But seriously, if it helps, from your OP I can't even tell that english is not your native language. Actually you write and spell better than most native english speakers I've had the displeasure of reading from. ^^

[Xajii]

if you write it and pm it to me i can proofread it for you