Yes, colleges can revoke your admission in certain circumstances. Even if you’ve received an acceptance letter or declared your intention to attend the following fall, the school could decline your attendance if you earned bad grades in your senior year, were suspended, or you posted offensive material online, among other reasons. Here’s what you need to know about why colleges revoke your admission, how to avoid it, and more.
Reasons Colleges Can Revoke Your Admission
In specific circumstances colleges can and do revoke admission from students, even if they’ve already received an acceptance letter, they declared their intention to attend, or they submitted their deposit for the fall. These are a few reasons it happens:
1. You Did Poorly In Your Senior Year
Senioritis is real. This can lead to a slight dip in grades. That on its own isn’t a big deal, but if grades slip significantly, then there’s a problem. Performing this poorly in your final year of high school could prompt the college to revoke your admission, especially if the college requests your mid-year report.
In most cases, colleges will first contact the students to learn why grades dropped and, if the reason is understandable, the school will be less likely to revoke acceptance.
2. You’re Guilty of Plagiarism
Colleges and universities take plagiarism very seriously. Plagiarism or cheating during your high school years can put your college education in jeopardy. Colleges take this infraction extremely seriously. Always make sure that your submissions, whether college essays, English essays or artwork, are of your own creation.
Keep in mind that even using artificial intelligence (AI) can be considered plagiarism. If the school discovers or suspects you used an AI program to write your college essay or any of your high school work, you might just find your admission revoked.
3. You Broke College Application Agreements
Early decision is a “binding” college admissions process that allows a student to apply early with the promise that they will attend if they are accepted to the school. You’re only supposed to apply to one college under early decision and then withdraw any other applications (early action or regular decision) once you’re accepted.
Students who apply to two or more early decision colleges run the risk of receiving more than one acceptance letter – and their schools finding out. Colleges do share lists. In this case, a student might find both acceptance letters rescinded – and even more schools might be notified of what you did, hurting your future acceptance chances.
Schools can also be notified if you break the binding agreement. Colleges let students out of early decision agreements if the student can’t attend due to the cost of attendance. And while students can technically break an early decision agreement for any reason, doing so without a “good reason” can result in consequences – including revoked admission to other colleges.
Another example of a broken college application agreement that could impact your acceptance letter is not adhering restrictive early action. Restrictive early action is for students who agree to apply to that school only under early action and/or early decision, but they’re not obligated to attend in the fall if they’re accepted.
If a college discovers you applied to them under restrictive early action and to other schools, either under early decision, early action, or restrictive early action, you might just get rejected after you’re accepted. However, most schools have open early action.
4. You Were Suspended, Expelled, or Arrested
Your high school could report suspensions or expulsions to your college, especially for dangerous, violent, illegal, or other serious acts. If you’re arrested and/or found guilty of a crime, your college may also find out – from either your high school, the news, or another source.
Any of these offenses can lead to revoked admissions.
5. You Posted Offensive Material Online
Harvard University has been in the headlines several times for rescinding admission from students who posted offensive material online. In one particularly notorious case from 2017, Harvard revoked 10 students’ admissions for their involvement in a Facebook group dedicated to racist and hateful memes.
Colleges don’t want to associate with anyone with reprehensible behavior and reserve the right to take back their acceptance. Keep in mind that when you attend that school, you’re also representing that school. What you post online (and even actions you take offline), reflects on them. As such, it’s important to think before you post and educate yourself on tolerance – as there’s every likelihood your college will be diverse.
6. You Missed Important Deadlines
Colleges often have deadlines for various deposits and payments. It’s important to adhere to those timelines or you can find your admission revoked. Accepted early decision students usually have to send in their deposit a few weeks after they’re accepted, but most future college students have to submit their deposits by May 1, the National College Decision Day. You’ll also have to send in tuition and fees by specific deadlines.
Always read over the documentation colleges send you. It will list the next steps after you’re accepted and important due dates. If you have trouble meeting these deadlines, reach out to the school’s admission department and financial aid office as soon as possible to explore your options. Simply not paying or trying to send in a late payment will likely result in revoked admission.
7. You Provided False Information
When you apply to colleges, it’s important to be truthful. Even small lies can come back to haunt you, but serious ones – like faking a letter of recommendation or forging a test score or grade – could mean the college rescinds their offer of admission. Lies by omission could also land you in hot water. Many college applications require you to sign at the end, stating that what you’ve provided is truthful.
If you believe you made a mistake on your college application, big or small, reach out to the school as soon as possible.
What Should You Do If Your College Revokes Your Admissions?
In many cases, colleges allow a student to plead his or her case before acceptance is officially revoked or appeal the decision. However, students need to have convincing arguments – “I don’t know” won’t cut it – or show serious remorse for their actions. Go into these meetings calm and polite. Present to the school why you’re still a good choice for a future student.
In the event a school decides against you and revokes your admission, you might still have options. If it’s before May 1, you might be able to accept one of your other school’s offers of acceptance. If it’s after May 1, you can apply to a community college or rolling admissions schools. In the future, you might also be able to reapply to your first choice college as a transfer student, especially if you’ve shown you learned from your mistakes.
To avoid getting your college admission revoked, the best course of action is to prevent these mistakes in the first place. Keep up with your grades, don’t lie, honor your college admission agreements, and stay on the side of good behavior. If you find you’re being accused of something, you can always appeal the decision.
Whether you’ve had an offer rescinded or you’re exploring schools for the first time, College Match can help you discover colleges that match your goals. Start here for free.
