Question: Hi guys, I've been admitted to Rice University for ED last December to the Wiess School and was jumping up and down.

During my first semester before I got admitted, I had a B+ in Ap Statistics after struggling my first test by getting a 70 and then getting 100's all my other tests. I ended on a borderline B+/A- because I screwed up my last test with a 79 and ended up with a 88.9

This semester, our third quarter has ended and we have one more quarter left with 3 tests and a project left. I literally screwed up my first test with a 60 and am standing at an overall of 65 which is a D. I guess I know I can raise my grade, but what if I don't? Would I get rescinded? All my other grades are A's and B's, which are all similar with my semester 1 grades.

I'm really worried. I've worked so hard all my high school career, and my parents have put in so much for me to succeed. I'm scared one test I decided to slack off because I was sick with the flu at the time might mess my entire life up and am losing sleep. Please anybody with experience/information help me out. Even writing about this right now is getting me dizzy. The school website doesn't seem to give much information regarding rescind policies.

Colleges often do rescind acceptances when they spot a "D" on the final transcript. But these decisions are commonly made on a case-by-case basis, and thus students who can prove that they haven't been slacking are more likely to keep their spots in the incoming freshman class than those who clearly seem to be suffering from "Senioritis."

Rescinded acceptances are based on FINAL course grades, not on quarter or semester grades. So if you currently have an overall “D" in AP Stats but you had stronger grades earlier in the year, then a decent showing in your last quarter should pull your final grade up to at least “C" territory, right? And once you're there, you should be okay.

Meanwhile, here's what you need to do:

-Tell your teacher that you very much want to get back on track and ask what he or she suggests (after-school help? tutoring? online assistance?) then follow this advice.

-If you opt for the tutoring or online assistance, report in to your teacher weekly with updates on how it's going. If he or she does routinely offer extra-help sessions, be sure to show up even if it means missing other activities. If you still end up with that “D," you may need to ask your teacher to write to Rice on your behalf and attest to the fact that you were trying to do better.

-Ask your teacher if there are any extra-credit assignments you can do. Even if the answer is “No," this again will show your teacher that you aren't taking your downturn lightly.

-Sit in the front of the room during AP Stats class (if your seats aren't assigned) and away from distracting friends. (If your assigned seat is near distracting friends, asked to be moved!) Make an effort to participate in class discussions regularly. Not only will this help to keep you focused and engaged in class but also, if your teacher adds "Class Participation" to your grade, a few extra points could bump you up to safer turf.

-Keep a record of all of your efforts ... e.g., a log of the times you went to after-school help sessions or you used a tutor or Web site.

If you don't pull up your grade beyond a D (which I bet you will), you should send Rice a detailed list of all of the measures you took to try to boost your grade, also noting that you came down with the flu at a critical time and it set you back on a key test and left you unable to regain your footing.

However, I feel that if you make this a priority, you will be able to get that footing back, although it may mean working briefly with a tutor. You might feel as if you are already so busy that you can't add another item to your to-do list. However, with college applications behind you, you should be able to find some time, even if it means cutting back on your social (or social media!) life.

Good luck! Let us know how you fared ... both in your AP Stats class and with Rice.