<p>I was given a referral for plagiarising on a paper.<br>
These were the circumstances:
I didn't sign up for the class; I was thrown into it because of schedule errors. I had no interest in the subject, and I'm not going to use any bad words, but let's just say that I didn't have the highest opinion of the teacher. She told us to write a paper after the AP exams. I was irritated because she was the only teacher giving us real work after the exams. But I wrote my paper nevertheless. She tells us three days before it's due that it's supposed to be at least 10 pages long. Once more I was irritated, but I did it. Out of frustration and impatience, I left about 5 sentences unchanged in my 12 page paper. I was given a 0 on the paper, along with half the class (which counted as two test grades and brought my grade down from an A to a B), and a referral. </p>
<p>Now I realize that none of the reasons I provided can justify plagiarism. I accept my mistake, and I also realize that in the long run, she may have done me a favor. If she had just given me a 0, I would have accepted it, even appreciated it. A 'B' is not such a great price to pay for a life lesson learned. But that referral will go on my record, permanently affecting my chances for college.
I had a conference with the academic dean of my school, and he told me that the referral won't show up on the transcript, but it will be on my disciplinary record. Only if colleges specifically ask for it (which, according to him, they rarely do) will they see it. However, in some of the colleges I'm applying to, on the counselor recommendation forms, there is an area that asks if the student has had any disciplinary action. Obviously, the counselor will have to go through my record, and this is where it will show up.
Hence, I'll have to confess that I have this on my record, and explain the circumstances on the application. I already have my explanation written out along with what I learned from it, but I feel that colleges won't look very kindly upon my behavior, regardless of how good my explanation is. That remark would probably get me rejected from most of the schools I'm applying to. I've also heard people say that it's not true, that they're looking for some improvement, etc., but if I put myself in their place, and I have to go through hundreds of impressive applications a day, I would almost automatically reject an application that has such a remark.<br>
Any advice on what I should do or clarification on anything I wrote above is appreciated! Thanks!</p>