Soooo I get that ivies are highly competitive and if you have the credentials, its practically a lotto with a 5% succes rate. Well, I’m there- or I thought I was. I’ve got good ec’s, a 1570, 4.0 uw, top of the class… but sophomore year I was caught giving answers to a friend in French class. It was reported (rightly so) as cheating. I’m using the common app… even if I get it expunged from my transcript by my guidance counselor (and she writes a letter without mentioning it), do I have to report it? If I do, will it disqualify me? My guidance counselor could talk about it to make it sound better, and I could write about it (although you can’t tell hear, I’m an exceptional writer). Or is there another app I can avoid showing it on? Am I screwed, yay or nay?
From a student’s perspective, it is quite wrong to not mention a time of academic dishonesty in school. your grades and SAT are outstanding, but is your character in the case that you were caught cheating? Ivies do not only look at grades and test scores. They look at you. And if you admit to your mistake in the common app, your guidance counselor can accurately vouch for you. I understand that you made a mistake in sophomore year and it seems like you regret it, so I hope you make the right decision here. Let’s say you don’t mention this, but your guidance counselor does. That looks bad on you.
If you think about it, hiding this incident in itself is a form of academic misconduct. I know you don’t want to let this grave mistake haunt you forever, but being honest from now on will help you in the future. Once you get into college and hopefully not commit mistakes such as this again, you can forget about it. Lying on your apps is something that can earn you a black mark on your record. My evidence? I come from a highly competitive school where almost anyone will do anything for a 4.0 gpa, and someone from my math class did not get into the college they dreamed of getting into because they claimed they had a 4.0 when they did not. Once the college got the transcript, things were over for that student. Principal let students know about this in a form of a letter. But you are your own person, and mature enough to know what is right and what is wrong. Good luck.
Google “disciplinary problems college applications”
all you need to know is probably on the first link. i didn’t read through all of it, but it should help you make your decision. sorry for the repeated comments.
That’s a minor incident that should only be between you, your parents, and the high school. I don’t see any rational reason why it should be on your transcript. You were a 15 year old kid, doing things that 15 year old kids do. If it’s not on your transcript, then you can safely answer “no” and don’t worry about it. This isn’t a top secret security clearance and no one is doing a background check on you. It’s a college application and they don’t need to know any more than what’s on your transcript and SAT scores. College is supposed to be an academic fresh start, and it’s NOT your duty or honor to confess your childhood infractions to them so they can turn around and use it against you. What they’re doing is taking their own adult standard and asking you to apply it retroactively.
If it is on your transcript, I would go to the school with mom and dad and yell at people until they do take it off. It’s wrong for a high school to taint your future like that.
@coolguy40 It was wrong for the OP to taint his future by cheating.
They’re asking whether you’ve ever been caught cheating. The answer is yes.
@coolguy40 so any report of misconduct in high school should not be reported to colleges? Why is academic dishonesty any different from say, a physical argument between students? What if situations arise in college where OP feels tempted to cheat again? From what I understand, college is much less lenient to academic dishonesty than high school is. I am not saying OP should be punished, but I think he should report something as it is.
Whether it does or doesn’t show on your transcript, the GC will also need to answer a question about disciplinary history on her forms. Talk to the GC and see what she intends to do. Many hs have a policy NOT to report these, regardless.
Did you read the question?
“Have you ever been found responsible for a disciplinary violation at any educational institution you have attended from the 9th grade (or the international equivalent) forward, whether related to academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct that resulted in a disciplinary action? These actions could include, but are not limited to: probation, suspension, removal, dismissal, or expulsion from the institution.”
Btw, it’s a lot more than stats and what you think are good ECs or “credentials” to get into a tippy top. Not as simple as calling it a lotto. Rather, you have a full app and supp to produce, many points to answer, a whole presentation.
This is really the definitive answer. The OP needs to talk to the GC. Many schools, and I concur, find the Common App question draconian, especially the vague phrasing “but are not limited to.” Almost everyone in high school has had some type of disciplinary violation, from chewing gum and having their cell phone on to more serious offenses like bullying and drug possession. If the result of an action were suspension or expulsion, the student should provide an honest answer. But the Common App makes no distinction between major and minor offenses, so many schools have their own policy on what to report.
The school profile from my HS stated:
Note that this thread is not the place to debate if the question is right, wrong, or indifferent. If someone is so inclined, one can start a new discussion. The OP is specifically asking about his/her situation, so responses should be confined to that.