<p>If a college finds out about cheating, it is because you told them in your application. Thus, you can describe the personal moral judgement. If your high school finds out, you often still get to explain the personal moral judgement. It becomes a matter of being able to show that you actually did beleive it was the right thing to do as opposed preforming a knowingly immoral act.</p>
<p>Talking about paying off a school to change your grades is much different than cheating in the sense we’re speaking of here. “All the cheating in the world” refers to all of the cheating pertaining to what is being discused, specifically I meant cheating on every test, quiz, and assignment. Transfer admissions in California is obviously a very different boat then regular college admissions.</p>
<p>Maybe I don’t understand what your getting at…but are you trying to say that lieing is always immoral? I’m saying it is not. Theft, even, is not always immoral. It matters if we are speaking about morals based on laws, morals based on social accepted behavior, or morals based on whats good for mankind.</p>
<p>that’s not exactly true…the GC must fill out their school report as part of the Common Application, and on it is a similar question asked to each applicant…have you ever been suspended?, etc…& if so, please provide details. If one has been suspended, then the GC is obligated to report such & provide details, regardless of whether the appliocant did same on their application. Cheating would likely invoke suspension or “official” reprimand enough to constitute reporting by the GC, hence its gonna get to the colleges, regardless of what an applicant confesses to. I know at my kids schools, the schools take this very seriously, and the fact that such things are reported to colleges has put pressure on the whole suspension & reprimand process…but they are still reported if they are official school sanctions.</p>
<p>Remember that colleges are not just academic settings–they are also communities in which people live and interact socially. As a result, schools don’t want cheaters OR people who are likely to cause problems in the school community.</p>
<p>All substance abuse is dangerous. Even responsible use can be dangerous, there’s a very fine line between responsible and irresponsible. Just because you can drink and not cause harm to anyone, doesn’t mean the possiblity wasn’t there. Drinking alters decision making, which is always a dangerous side effect. Dangerous doesn’t mean something bad is going to happen every time you drink; it just means there is a risk that there is.</p>
<p>no, not all substance abuse is dangerous. i would agree that there is a fine line between responsible and irresponsible in terms of drinking for some aspects. however for getting behind the wheel of a car, I know that even if i was completely wasted, nothing would ever make me get in that car and turn the engine on and go out and risk other people’s lives. you may say if i’m completely wasted that I don’t have the mental capacity to stop myself from doing that, but I do. it is something ingrained in my mind and if i’m drunk enough to not be able to think at all, i’ve probably had too much and would pass out instead. other stuff, like weed, it’s not dangerous.</p>
<p>Weed can be just as dangerous as any other substance. Dangerous does not mean that people are going to die. Whenever you alter your state of consciousness, you are endangering yourself. You cannot predict the events that will unfold after you have become under the influence of alchohol or drugs. Even if you are responsible, factors outside of your control can create situations in which your substance use is now a danger.</p>
<p>Yes, weed could be dangerous, but so could coffee. Let’s not get all prone to exaggeration here - weed is one of the most benign drugs available.</p>
<p>My guidance counselor has notified me that she will include a letter that describes the event of my cheating on a math test during my junior year. The policy at my school is that anyone caught cheating on a test will receive a zero on the assignment and a full grade letter lower on the semester grade. She will explain the event fully in a letter.</p>
<p>Now, I’m not saying this wasn’t a extreme lapse of moral judgment, but is it right for the counselor to put this history on the secondary school report even if i never received “suspensions, dismissals or probationary terms because of academic or behavioral misconduct?” I was never placed on suspension, dismissed or under probation. This not only applies to Common App but other applications including USC, Columbia, and many more. Is there a way for me to argue against this practice?</p>
<p>If not, how much would that affect a college admission’s officer? Considering that that is the only incident in my academic career involving academic dishonesty and I have never had any other academic disciplinary issues.</p>
<p>You can argue all you want, but you’re not going to win (as long as you really did what you are accused of doing). The counselor can tell the college pretty much anything she thinks they ought to know, as long as it is true. If you got caught, then this is not something you revealed to her in confidence while seeking help.</p>
<p>I can’t predict what will happen, but verified cheating on a test in your junior year may well affect your applications negatively. Yes, a pattern of incidents would look even worse, but the fact that it was just one incident isn’t much of a defense. They don’t know what you did without getting caught, and competitive schools have plenty of applicants with clean records. If I were you, I’d apply to an unsually long and broad list of schools, including multiple safeties. You don’t know how different schools are going to react.</p>
<p>Hanna, i think you’re right. I’m just hoping there’s some way to dissuade the counselor from sending such a report since it is not required or even requested by the school. I have applied to UC’s which dont ask for a secondary school report, so those are my main back up schools. And I agree, the colleges have plenty of people with clean records to choose from so i’m at a great disadvantage. I just hope that I can explain it somehow to the colleges in my own words.</p>
<p>The Counselor Evaluation section of the secondary school report (it is not a recommendation, but an evaluation, which is an assessment) specifically states:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So your counselor was perfectly within his/her right to give a description of your academic & personal character (the cheating incident has compromised both) as long as s/he is truthful about the situation, you were caught so s/he did not compromise confidentiality.</p>
<p>You are fortunate that your counselor has let you know that the incident report is being included so that you can give your side of the story and let your colleges know that this lapse of judgment is not going to happen again.</p>
<p>Yes, the users are dangerous. When you are under the influence of substance, you become dangerous under certain circumstances, circumstances not always under your control.</p>
<p>I go to Bard College, the biggest drug school in America. I’ve seen people be responsible in their use, but then, certain situation arise, and BAM!, they’re now in an unsafe situation despite being careful.</p>
<p>I talked to my guidance counselor about this one day because another counselor brought it up while I was visiting. Your guidance counselor should not and cannot tell the college about your smoking pot or drinking alcohol unless you tell them. It’s a privacy clause so for your guidance counselor to include that you cheated on a test, for example, isn’t right unless you told him or her. It’s just like how lawyers cannot talk about clients to even family members and mention names.
I think that my school doesn’t specify, but sends out a report or something or other. I’m not really sure.
So, lets say I get busted for smoking pot as the title says, and my guidance counselor finds out by reading the paper. He would break the privacy claus if he told the college that in my report without me telling him of the incident.</p>
<p>Maik, I think you were incredibly lucky not to be suspended. You would have been at our high school. I don’t think you can expect your gc to ignore this incident, but with any luck he or she will say it was an anomaly.</p>
<p>Cefran, if someone got caught cheating, drinking alcohol, or smoking pot during the school day, the GC would be included in meetings with the parents and the student. The GC would not be kept out of the loop.</p>
<p>Cefran- you are incorrect. There is no right of privacy that attaches to conversations between a student and a guidance/college counselor. None of this is protected and the counselor can share whatever he wants with the colleges. This is not at all the same as attorney/client privilege or privileged communications with a medical professional or clergy.</p>