2 Questions

Applying to College
1

<p>1, how much could a disciplinary record hurt you? My counselor told me that schools do not give out your record per se, and colleges arent allowed to ask for it. But, they do ask you, your recommenders, and your counselors if you have ever gotten in trouble or been suspended, and to please explain that. basically its up to you how much you reveal. i have never gotten in trouble for things such as fights, drugs, alcohol, weapons, or any other monstrosity like that, but my school has a lot of discipline problems so i have gotten in trouble for ridiculous things like (literally) tossing a pen back to my friend when she threw it to another person and it accidentally landed on my desk, dress code violations (like wearing spaghetti straps) or having electronics at school. the last 2 things are things i have gotten suspended for by getting caught for them 3 times in an entire year (not just maybe a semester). i have also gotten in trouble for telling a substitute teacher that one of my peers was within the rules when he was wearing a headband with ears on them (you can buy them from our bookstore and are worn on spirit days, which it was). i wrote my disciplinary statement on that incident because it was a time when i got in trouble for sticking up for someone else. How much could this hurt me? What tips do you have for writing the disciplinary statement? Will colleges think that im a deliquent kid or by this example, thing maybe the school had went a little too far? </p>

<p>2, i only took 2 ap classes last year and 1 this year (as opposed to 2, because i am graduating early and the 2nd one is during second semester. i am taking the regular version of the class instead). I did this because that was all my school offered as of yet (we just started implementing the AP system). Will colleges know that this is all my school offered or think i'm just not challenging myself enough by not taking all the other courses in AP? Should i write somewhere that my school had limited resources? if so, where? How should it be approached?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>.......help?</p>

3

<p>Disciplinary actions do hurt, no doubt about it. The way I'd go about saying it is by showing how much you've improved.</p>

<p>And for your second question, I think you made a mistake by not taking the other AP course but if what you say is true about the "just starting AP system" then I think it's excusable.</p>

4

<p>suspensions are pretty drastic and may hurt your app a bit but i mean, if they see it's for dress code violations, then colleges might neglect to see that.</p>

<p>on the other hand, colleges really like to see you challege yourself, looking in depth at your rigor of curriculum. having only two ap classes (is that your total??) may not appeal much to colleges, but it really just depends on which colleges you're looking at. if you do well in them, or have at least a high gpa, then it might not hurt you as bad.</p>

5

<p>My total will only be 3 this year^</p>

<p>should i write somewhere that the AP system just started?</p>

6

<p>Your counselor should explain it in his/her letter.</p>