Caught for plagiarism in Senior Year(how does this affect me)

I didn’t cite one of my sources in a small blog post for English class, and my teacher found out. My teacher was also the principal so He forced me to answer yes to the academic integrity question on the common app. I didn’t receive a suspension or anything. I felt I was very apologetic and showed I learnt my lesson in my essay.

so how much will this affect me, does checking yes automatically remove me from consideration at some colleges or could this help my application( I’ve heard it both ways)?

I am applying to colleges with 12%-30ish% acceptance rates

Sounds like it wasn’t that big a deal and I think if you wrote an essay describing the circumstance I doubt it’ll have such a strong negative impact…

Still, I have a hard time understanding how and why you were forced to have such a small mistake count as so much…

It isn’t a small mistake. It is plagiarism. It is intellectual dishonesty.
You can fail a class in college if they catch you. With the internet, it is easier and easier to catch you.

There is no way this will help your application. Overcoming the hardship of your own stupidity is not a hook.

Same thing happened to me 2 months ago but I didn’t report it on common app

I don’t recommend @Rotex123 's approach unless you are 100% sure your school is not reporting the violation.

@yikesyikesyikes tbh I didn’t think about that but I already got accepted into schools so I don’t know how that affects it

@Rotex123 - Perhaps something else you didn’t think about - schools can and do rescind acceptances for this type of thing.

Im not really worried cuz the incident happened before I even had any acceptances and my guidance counselor, who I don’t like to go to anymore cuz she was friends with my parents and it’s awkward, knew about it and probably reported it cuz she’s the one that submitted and continues to submit all my stuff through Naviance, so I’m sure she either already reported it or chose not to

If you wrote your essay about it, it further decreases your odds - your essay should highlight why they want you on their campus, not the opposite - for explanations regarding problems, use “additional information”.
Yes odds are that you’ll be rescinded at 12-30% acceptance rate that admitted you if you didn’t mention it. If you did mention it AND got in, then you’re ok.
I would apply to large, stats-based universities (even good schools have that if they receive a lot of applications: Iowa State, UMW, Miami-Ohio, Penn State, UNH, have grids so basically if you meet the GPAXSAT goals you’re in). If it turns out unnecessary, no harm done.

Though you say you’ve “learnt your lesson” you seem pretty confident that this is no big deal and might even possibly “help your application.”

Best wishes. I personally don’t see it quite the same way you do.

I suspect OP means the essay explaining the academic infraction. I hope so.

On the CA, it’s not specifically an academic integrity question, but about discipline. Adcoms will look at his issue, not auto reject.

But what I think others are also referring to is evidence of how you think and present yourself, whether here or on the app.

OP said he/she did admit this on the app. It’s a different poster who has his own situation, didn’t mention it. (And may be at a hs that doesn’t report this. )

I don’t know if or how will it affect you, but IMO, there is a huge difference between someone knowingly not citing a source and a “oops” slipping through the crack not citing a source. In the first instance, you learn your lesson not to take credit for someone else’s material; in the second, you learn your lesson to double check your work. The first compromises your academic integrity; the second doesn’t.

Watch your words. Your principal is not he. You learned, not learnt. You were in an English class! You made an error and admissions can review the information as their rules allow.

How does your principal force you to write something on your common app?