<p>I will get to the point. I received a cheating file last year for being involved with five other students in the plagiarizing of a "study guide" in AP US History. We treated an individual assignment as a group assignment and were giving cheating files, but no suspensions. However, when applying to colleges right now... we are faced with the question on the common app:</p>
<p>Have you ever been found responsible for any disciplinary violation at an educational institution you have attended from the 9th grade forward (or the international equivalent), whether related to academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct, that resulted in your probation, suspension, removal, dismissal, or expulsion from the institution?</p>
<p>and on the USC Application:</p>
<p>Beginning in 9th grade, have you ever been judged responsible for academic or behavioral misconduct that led to your suspension or expulsion from any educational institution? </p>
<p>and on the UC Application I am not sure if it asks this question or not.</p>
<p>My question is: If we were given "IN-HOUSE SUSPENSIONS" which DO NOT show up on our transcripts, while the cheating file DOES SHOW up on our transcript, do we check YES to this box?</p>
<p>I will also be going in and asking my AP Guidance counselor.</p>
<p>“IN-HOUSE SUSPENSIONS” and “academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct, that resulted in your probation, suspension”. Which word is common? Suspension is suspension. What do you think???</p>
<p>I do hope you know that you ruined your chances at most colleges by having this mark on your transcript. You better be able to write one good explanation.</p>
<p>Man, you screwed yourself for a study guide? You don’t deserve to get in. At least choose something important to cheat on. ;-)</p>
<p>Anyways, go talk to your GC and explain the sitch. I wouldn’t say it’s “suspension” because in school suspension doesn’t really count (my school doesn’t even have it anymore, it’s so useless). I’d say you could say no to those first 2 questions, but talk to your GC to make sure- you have to go by what (s)he says cuz (s)he is writing your LOR.</p>
<p>Yeah I wouldn’t call it suspension either, to me suspension means actually being forbidden to come to school. But DEFINITELY ask your GC about it, she/he will know more about your situation than anyone on CC.</p>
<p>That said I don’t think you’ve completely screwed yourself over. I’ve done “group work” before too (granted the teacher said we could work in a group, but whatever) and it’s not something terrible - like bringing a weapon, drugs, etc etc. Just talk to your Gc…</p>
Not if the cheating charges are as trivial as they are here. It sounds like he and a group of friends studied together and wrote a comprehensive guide to assist them in studying. I find it hard to argue that their intentions were to cheat, given the premise that learning is all about interacting (and what kind of a school assignment is a study guide anyhow? You either choose to study or you don’t). At worst this seems like a misunderstanding on these students’ behalves and shouldn’t translate into them getting screwed in college admissions.</p>
<p>Then again, I could be misinterpreting you and you might be a deliberate cheater after all, for whom I have no sympathy.</p>
<p>^ I interpret the OP’s posts as they were assigned an individual assignment to make a study guide and they split the questions and each did a part and then combined them all. People do that all the time at my school…</p>
<p>Stupid assignment, yes. Should you cheat just because your teacher sucks? No.</p>
<p>Oh wow, guys thanks for the replies. And yeah, I never replied back. Here is my reply.</p>
<p>so for all those kids who cheated out there…</p>
<p>turns out…
“cheating files” dont go on the transcript, no matter how many you get. They are kept in the AP Discipline’s cabinet \ school record.
they are intended to prohibit you from getting letters of reccomendation because teachers\counselors need packets and in this packet, there are places that ask about suspension\academic dishonesty.
if the college calls, all the school has to do is pull out your file and report you.</p>
<p>So, as it turns out… a senior teacher greatly appreciates me in his class and is willing to write letters of recommendation for me so I AM applying to a couple private schools.
He is NOT “ratting me out” (as he said it)
and the colleges will know nothing about my cheating incident unless they call the school…</p>
<p>My last couple of questions to the sages of collegeconfidential:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I am looking at the UC application… and I don’t see a place to check a box for academic dishonesty\suspension at all. Am I missing something? I don’t really think so but can someone please confirm this with me?</p></li>
<li><p>In case I do get accepted to one of these private schools, can I take the risk of attending? The idea or tiny belief\worry that my school could call the college and essentially block me just seems outrageous and heartbreaking. ATM, I really want to take the risk though, private schools really seem like the way to go.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>And please, none of those negative replies. I’m trying to make progress.</p>
<p>Were you given “in-house suspension” (where you come to school, but can’t attend classes)? Or, were you just given an F for the assignment?</p>
<p>It doesn’t sound like it’s on your transcript and that teacher isn’t going to write about it…</p>
<p>So…I’m not sure what would trigger a phone call to your school since the teacher isn’t going to be “tipping” the school off in any way. Why would they call about YOUR app over anyone elses?</p>
<p>Also, if you’re that worried, why not also apply to some schools that don’t require recs?</p>
<p>Don’t worry. It sounds like a minor infraction anyway. You definitely should NOT allow a stupid “cheating file” to prevent you from going to a college you want to go to. I’m sure you’re smart and a good student - you deserve to go to a good school that you love. So in response to your question #2, go to wherever you want to go. There is no way that your school is going to call and sabotage you. Nor will the college care about “cheating” on a minor assignment. It’s just not in their best interest to deny a good student for a stupid reason such as that.</p>
<p>In response to question 1, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the UCs don’t ask/care. I continue to be shocked by how they make their admissions decisions with such little information. No wonder admissions there is such a crap shoot these days.</p>
<p>I was given an F on the assignment, which dropped my grade to a 75%, but then I eventually got it back up to a 82% as my final grade.
I was given a “cheating file” which stays on my HS record (inside my file at school)
I was given an in-house suspension (go to school, well, they let me attend classes actually too lol…)</p>
<p>It is not on my official transcript that I am sending out to colleges.</p>
<p>So I guess my last question is:</p>
<p>Colleges only receive what we (STUDENTS\TEACHER RECS) send them? </p>
<p>Hopefully that question is clear.</p>
<p>I am applying to all UCs, CSUs, and several privates.
For anyone who wishes to know some more information
I am a top athlete, A 3.6 UW GPA, 3.9\4.0 UC GPA, 1970 SAT and some other ECs with speech…</p>
<p>Thank you all, I’ve appreciated the comments. Still willing to hear more!</p>