As the prospect of leaving Paly for good draws nearer for the Seniors, another prospect also sometimes looms for seniors: having admission at the “dream college” being rescinded. While being rescinded is rare for Paly students, according to Sandra Cernobori, it is still something to be thinking about. The sort of event that can lead to being rescinded include a significant drop in grades for course work, a disciplinary problem, or any falsehood on your application.

Usually for a college to reconsider a student’s application because of grades, there must be a significant change in GPA. Although the Universities of California recommend a GPA above a 3.0 throughout senior year, according to Cernobori, everything is taken case by case. Contrary to conventional beliefs, non-core classes still count after sending in your application.

Unfortunately, the exact number of rescinded students is impossible to know for sure because it often goes unreported to the school, according to Ann Deggelman, TA coordinator at Paly. However, Paly students have been rescinded in the past for not maintaining adequate grades, meaning above a D in elective classes or dropping classes second semester. If during the second semester you are thinking of dropping a class or aiming to get by with a low grade, Deggelman and Cernobori recommend you call the admissions office at the school where you been admitted. A Paly grad, whose name has been withheld, was earning a D in one of her core classes, but after calling her college’s office of admissions and explaining that she was working to improve her grade, the school agreed to allow her to matriculate, provided she retake the course over the summer. Sadly, this is far from the norm for students receiving inadequate grades, so in general it is better not to slack off second semester.

Disciplinary trouble can also result in a college revoking your application. Suspensions and arrests often cause colleges to change their minds, especially if drugs or violence are involved. Less serious violations of school policy however, such as streaking, can be a different story. Another graduate of Paly’s class of 2012 planned to streak last year and worried that her college would revoke her acceptance. In order to avoid this situation, the student called the office of admission at her school and asked what the consequences would be. After a hearty laugh by the admissions officer, the officer recommended against it but maintained that Abigail would not rescinded.

Finally, lying on an application can lead to negative consequences, according to Ana Homayoun college counselor. The University of California relies on self-reported grades, so if the grades you sent in are inaccurate, it is likely UC will revoke your acceptance. If you are in this boat, call the college right away to see if you can reverse the verdict. According to Cernobori, colleges like to see if you are proactive, so make sure to call if you are in danger of being rescinded.

If you think you are in danger of being rescinded, talk to the college sooner, rather than later and try to work something out. You never know – you might be able to turn the process around.