<p>I am a sophomore in high school, currently taking AP Biology. I've done pretty well all year in the class, pulling an A first semester and getting ready to finish second semester with the same. However, about two weeks before the end of school, I was accused of cheating by two fellow students (we grade each other's labs) who said that my answers were suspiciously identical to those in the AP Biology Lab Manual Answers. After my labs were sent to the deans and back, my teacher told me that I had added some things in a darker pen, and that these were the suspicious parts of my lab report. It was half-true: on the day of the lab due date, I had hastily added some things before the lab was due; however, I never looked at any lab manual or talked to anyone I knew who cheated. I had talked to a few people, obviously one being a cheater him/herself, but I don't know who--and my conversation with him/her must have affected what I wrote down on my lab. There was never any intention of cheating, and furthermore, my teacher encourages working with other people, so the conversing about the lab was perfectly fine. Now I have a 0 on the lab, bringing my hard-earned A to a B, and it shows up on my disciplinary record as a 1st offense cheating.</p>
<p>I guess my question is: Is there any way to possibly prove that I didn't cheat? And if this is permanent, what are my chances to get into colleges such as UCLA, UCB, UChicago, NYU, and USC? It's my sophomore year, and I've been making up for my disastrous freshman year grades (3 B's, 1 C) with straight A's. My cumulative GPA is 3.78 with this new B.</p>
<p>Sorry, but you’re in deep trouble. Life is unfair. Some kid got kicked out of Oberlin because he forgot to put citations on his research paper, even though he had shown his teacher a rough draft with where the citations were supposed to be (plagiarism). At least you learned a good lesson. Apply to Purdue you might get in.</p>
<p>Get your parents involved and go straight to the top. Keep arguing and threaten to sue, like the two previous posters have said. Threaten to go to the press.</p>
<p>Schools usually do not like things to go that far and will most likely concede.</p>
<p>And do it in a manner that doesn’t undermine your entire application such as disrespecting your guidance counselor or a possible application recommendation. Keep arguing…it should be innocent 'til proven guilty.</p>
<p>This story sounds suspicious… there’s very few people anywhere that would take the trouble to report a first offense. Even for those, it usually it requires a longstanding suspicion reinforced by rumors or catching them in the act multiple times. How would they know the answers were nearly identical to those in the teacher’s manual? Why would both people agree to rat you out if you’ve never cheated before and are of a clean character?</p>
<p>I’m very tempted to call you out for being a ■■■■■ considering you also only have 2 posts, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. I still think there’s information missing from the picture though. Two students do not just agree to blindside someone without a very good reason, and one lab report, even if they somehow knew it was exactly alike to the official answer, does not qualify.</p>
<p>honestly i think it is kind of a big deal, but like others have said you can’t give up on it. and if you are persistent, and if your parents go on your behalf to the school, i would guess you can have it removed from your record. especially if nothing like this happens in your next 2 years. i would just make certain you keep your grades really high, and stay out of anymore trouble, and the consequences should be minimal. but do not let it go with the school – you have to try your hardest to make sure nothing is on your record (aka the colleges will never see / hear about it)…good luck!</p>