Late Policy

Social Studies does not like to impose penalties, and we hope that the policy spelled out here will not have to be applied to any senior. Nevertheless, the tight timing of thesis submission, reader comments, and scheduling oral exams makes it very important that your thesis is submitted on time. The policy below is in line with the penalty policies of other social science concentrations. 

This year's thesis deadline for on-cycle seniors is Wednesday, March 11, by 2:00 p.m. EDT. Submission instructions can be found on the Social Studies 99 Canvas site.

Additionally, you will need to come to the Social Studies office at 3:30 p.m. on Thesis Day to turn in a printed copy of your cover page and sign the honor code. 

Essays submitted after that time will be penalized severely. A penalty of .33 grade points will be imposed for the first three hours that a thesis is late. At 2:00 p.m. the following day, an additional penalty of .33 will be taken. For every 24 hours after that, an additional .33 will be deducted at 2:00 p.m. Deductions will not be prorated. Theses are graded on a Latin scale, which corresponds to the numerical GPA scale below. For example, if your average thesis grade is a 3.5 and you have a one-day penalty, your average grade will drop to 3.17 after subtracting .33 of a grade point. 

Extensions may be provided exclusively in cases of documented medical illness or grave family emergency; students should consult with the Director of Studies in that event and as soon as possible. Missed alarm clocks, crashed computers, or competing paper deadlines are not considered valid causes for extensions. You should plan to complete a full draft of your thesis at least three weeks before the due date to allow enough time for revisions and proofreading.