<p>So I was an absolute idiot freshman year and took a friend's laptop (everyone in our schools is given a laptop for academic use) out of the classroom as a prank. I was then disrespectful to a very well-liked teacher when she came looking for the laptop. The administration suspended me for five days for theft.</p>
<p>The Common App asks that I write a letter stating the circumstances and what I've learned from the experience. During freshman year, my best friend was suicidal, was institutionalized, and eventually dropped out of school. Suffice to say, it was a very strange and unhappy year. That combined with crazy teenage hormones resulted in me being very rebellious. Hence the suspension. </p>
<p>I'm not exactly sure what to write in the statement. I want to explain the circumstances of why I was so defiant, but I also don't know if I should even include that information. I can say that I've learned that there is a time and place for certain things. However, that sounds rather hollow (especially because I'm still a little bitter that my punishment was so severe.). I sincerely regret being so disrespectful to a teacher who deserved better and for wasting her time, but that's somewhat separate from what I was actually suspended for.</p>
<p>I'm also wondering, will this suspension severely hinder my chances at schools like Brown, Tufts, Northwestern, etc? I think my stats are solid otherwise (but not stellar), and I feel that I've matured so much since then. I really want that to be evident in my statement.</p>
<p>Sorry for being so long-winded, a bad habit of mine. In a nutshell, how much do I include in my statement, and how much will this suspension affect me?</p>