<p>Ok. So, in my school, there is a group project for honors physics called Conquer the Hill. In this project, groups of 2 or 3 (2 in my case) have to build a small car that goes up a hill and scores a couple points by putting erasers in a cup, etc. </p>
<p>In this project, my partner and I agreed that he builds the cart and I write the essays, which is indeed legal. It comes out that he stole the car from another group, without telling me. I have proven to the school that I had no clue about the car and I didn't help at all, and my partner has vouched for that fact 100 times. </p>
<p>Despite his, and other peers support, we got equal punishment of academic dishonesty. They understand I didn't help but claim that any work is both of our responsibility.</p>
<p>My Vice President does claim that our school does not send disciplinary records to colleges, but I have noticed a spot on the common app and other applications which ask if you have ever been in trouble with academic dishonesty. Do I come clean? Or? </p>
<p>I don't understand how something that had nothing to do with me can potentially ruin my chance at ivies i could've gotten into. </p>
<p>Also, How bad does academic dishonesty affect your chances?</p>
<p>PLEASE RESPOND. I've legitimately cried for hours....</p>
<p>(PS: I have appealed to the school board, before they put the verdict down.)</p>
<p>If the situation is how you describe it, then it’s completely unfair to you. I am not usually in favor of threatening legal action, but if this happened to my son or daughter I’d be bringing that option up or pursuing it. If they are able to figure out the truth of the situation, then it’s absurd to put this in your record. The absolute WORST that should happen is you fail the assignment and have some opportunity to redo it.</p>
<p>EXACTLY. The Vice Principle made the decision today, so I will be appealing to the principle tomorrow with the support of my parents, and then, if needed, appeal to the school board.</p>
<p>This kid is admitting I had nothing to do with building the car, but he is also claiming he only borrowed the other teams wood. He stated that he found their wood, but it is evident that he stole the car.</p>
<p>I can’t even think of anything I could have done differently besides pick a better partner. </p>
<p>In a worst case scenario, this is labeled as academic dishonesty, my physics grade drops from a 92 to a 77 for the marking period (bringing me to a 87 for the year instead of a 92), and I am labeled with academic dishonesty. </p>
<p>My VP claimed we don’t release academic disciplinary records to colleges, is this possible? Does this mean I hide the truth on the common app where it asks about academic honesty?</p>
<p>Once again, I really don’t know how I am in trouble for something I didn’t do. Especially when I have never even had a lunch detention through 3 years of high school.</p>
<p>Sounds like you and your parents are going in tomorrow, so just be patient until then. If they have no proof or indication that you were involved, then your parents should INSIST it not be on your record in any way shape or form and that you not be penalized. If the school doesn’t comply, then your family should consult an attorney.</p>
<p>Yes. We are looking to appeal to the Principle tomorrow, then the School Board if the Principle does not comply. And if the School Board does not comply, we are looking to send an attorney’s notice. This situation can potentially ruin my admissions completely, if I am not mistaken.</p>
<p>Is there any other implications? Is there anything else we can do?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t threaten legal action… because this isn’t your fault and it is quite obvious that is the case. If they don’t report to colleges, there is no issue withholding the information. Your school does this for a reason, to help you in exact situations like this, so that your matriculation into college is not threatened. If you feel strongly about writing about this in the common app, then do it, but you don’t need to. </p>
<p>I hope you have success appealing this issue. Good luck.</p>
<p>@moonman676 Actually, he is technically required to report it in the Common App. His school can’t just opt out of informing schools of disciplinary action. In fact, if he doesn’t report it, gets in, and later the college somehow finds out, he could be rescinded if just accepted, suspended or kicked out if already attending, or have his degree rescinded if he already graduated. Granted, those may be the worst case scenarios and might not actually happen, but there is the possibility they could, so he should try to amend the situation now.</p>
<p>OK, assuming that you are still punished by the school, which may not happen: (a) ask whether the academic dishonesty is still on the official record, even if not disclosed; and (b) if yes, insist that the counselor’s recommendation which will be part of your college application contains a detailed explanation of the issue and that you will see it (the part pertaining to the incident).</p>
<p>I knew a spacey young man who was just not in touch with the dishonesty in the world today, particularly in school. He went to a small Christian school where he knew every single kid since he was 3. He wont a full scholarship to a prestigious prep school and when he was a sophomore got into trouble because kids copied off of him, unbeknownst to him, and got caught. The rule of the school is that ALL get equal trouble when this happens so he was cited and got punished too, despite his parents involvement in the case, and even an attorney consulted. </p>
<p>That young man is a senior, graduating from Harvard this year. Not only did he disclose the incident to the colleges, but he wrote an essay about what happened, his naivety, his own carelessness, how he learned this WAS his business and his fault, and how he learned so much from the incident. He was accepted to every school to which he applied, by the way.</p>
<p>Most schools won’t fold at the mention of legal action unless it is over something like religion in which they could get in serious trouble. Taking legal action is a terrible idea in your case; schools use that sort of thing to show everyone that they uphold their rules and will try even harder to punish you for this incident. I say you appeal, get your parents to go in, explain the potential impact this could have on your college admissions, and repeatedly mention your strong performance and lack of a disciplinary record. If they won’t budge, so be it. Take cptofthehouse’s advice and write a detailed explanation or essay on it. Don’t plead how you were so wronged. Just say how you messed up and got into this situation, and then explain what you learned. Don’t take legal action.</p>
<p>I am serious that my example was a real person. I know a number of kids that had some strikes against them that got into top schools. My one son was one of them He had a not so nice supplement to explain all of the disciplinary actions he had in school. He was one bad boy. I think that it was probably the most interesting reading those adcoms had. Everyone is so sanctimoniously pure and good in their apps. Some hair raising stories make for some good reading.</p>
<p>But seriously, in a case where you find yourself involved in a wrong doing and your only “sin” is that you were not careful to keep an eye out on that possibility on a partner’s end, would make for a good explanation. Especially backed up by a teacher or counselor who is willing to corroborate and write how impressed s/he is the way you took responsibility instead of trying desperately to get out of the situation blame free for fear of college admissions retribution. Admissions officers hate tip toers who live their life just to get into a select college. They prefer those who do take some risks and make their mistakes and still succeed and do well. Where they won’t give much of a quarter is when the grades and test scores are affected.</p>