<p>Here is the short story: </p>
<p>I was accused of cheating in a course and I am currently going through the bureaucratic appeals process. Realistically I dont think the appeal process will end in my favor (hopefully it will). </p>
<p>Right now I am in my last semester and I have been accepted to a number of graduate programs. If I am found guilty I will have to take an F for the course, and retake it in the summer. However, my transcript will not indicate the reason for the F.</p>
<p>I have worked for three professors in my college career and they all said I should not worry, and that they will vouch for me if it is a problem for the graduate programs. </p>
<p>Here are my questions: </p>
<p>Should I inform the schools of my situation before I accept any offers?</p>
<p>Will the schools even care about the F, if I retake it in the summer?</p>
<p>Do you have any practical advice on how I should handle this? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>wow lol. Just for curiosity what class did you cheat? coding class? cheated on project or test? If you get to deans for trial and found guilty, it will leave permanent record. Just hope that the graduate school you got accepted will still accept you with your current GPA transcript and they overlook at the final transcript when they receive it after summer semester. </p>
<p>If it’s cheating in coding, you will not likely to appeal it toward your favor. If professor went through the code and see too many similarity between other codes, you are kinda screwed. </p>
<p>If it’s test, lie your butt off. </p>
<p>project, say you worked on some of it together with your friends and some ideas happens to coincide with your friend who worked together.</p>
<p>The school you accept an offer from will ask for your final transcript (showing that you graduated). I do not know how closely they look at your final grades, though. I would suggest talking with the people who wrote you recommendations about how you should handle this. They already know your situation and can give you the proper perspective.</p>
<p>You need to be extremely careful at this stage and not do anything prematurely because that offense is taken very seriously. Do not do anything until you have asked the right people. The fact that it is going under the bureaucratic process means there will be records of it, right? I do not know if the grad schools have access to things like that, but you have three people who know you well and know what has happened. Ask them.</p>
<p>I meant talk to the three professors, not your recommenders. I assumed those professors wrote you recommendations.</p>
<p>@gtgblows…</p>
<p>Telling someone to lie is wrong and immoral. If MillerJohn did in fact cheat, then he/she will have to suffer the repercussions of their unprofessional behavior. Please have some integrity!</p>
<p>@creolan
I wonder if you are in MillerJohn’s situation, would you be modest enough to just admit to the cheating. If you so greatly wanna uphold honor code in your school, feel free to do so. I wonder if you would be so carefree enough to admit your misconduct when it can possibly scar your career path or future admission to graduate school permanently. I am simply giving him advise how to react to certain misconduct to sway from having permanent record.</p>
<p>@gtgblows</p>
<p>It is always wrong to cheat in academics and I can honestly say I never have, therefore I would not be in OPs situation (not to say that the OP did in fact cheat as he has only be accused of cheating). I only responded to your post because it bothered me that someone would would give advice to “lie your butt of”. Most colleges/universities have their students sign an honor code that the students (and faculty) are expected to abide by. There are many people that have no problem doing this and carry their self with integrity. However there are still those that don’t and thus should have to deal with the consequences of their actions. </p>
<p>Above all cheating, lying, and plagiarism are serious offenses in academia and other professions. </p>
<p>@millerjohn </p>
<p>If you are being wrongly accused for cheating, then having your professors vouch for your integrity and work ethic should be enough to help you fight the accusations. If you actually did cheat and you choose to ask your professors to support you, keep in mind if you get caught in a lie things will turn out a lot worst (ie expulsion from the university depending on your school’s honor code). If you choose to take the F or if you fail to prove your innocence and receive the F, then it probably won’t break your future graduate school unless they ask why you received that grade. I don’t condone lying so if you did cheat, I would suggest you take the F and retake the course during the summer. I also suggest you look up your school’s honor code so you can see what are the most extreme consequences for cheating. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the advice. Right now I think I am just going to talk with the profs that I am close with, and take the class during the summer if the appeal process does not work.</p>