Anyone know students who have a disciplinary issue outside of high school (e.g. at a summer program) who have been accepted at Ivy League schools?
Was the summer program in question held at your own high school, and/or does the program send a transcript to your colleges? If not, I doubt any college will know about it. For incidents at your own high school, you should ask your GC.
The summer program is not affiliated with my high school, nor does it send transcripts to colleges. However, kids at the program may know and try to sabotage…
Yes. But there is also a difference between a disciplinary issue where you violate curfew at a summer program versus a disciplinary issue where you’ve been arrested and convicted on a weapons charge.
But does it inform your HS? Regardless of the answer to that question, you need to talk to your GC about how to handle the question on the application.
You should assume that AOs will not seriously entertain efforts by a high school student to sabotage an application.
Of course kids with a disciplinary issue can get in. But it depends on how bad. Lots of hs have tough rules and mandated disciplinary actions. Adcoms look at what it is.
And you asking, you thinking some peer can complain, just shows you have little idea how holistic admission works, what matters, how. That’s your big problem, for a tippy top app. Nor does it seem you looked at the Common App, to see how he discipline question is worded.
You have work to do, if you expect to be a viable candidate.
I’ve fully read the Common Application. The question asks about discipline at “any educational institution.” The issue occurred at an academic summer program, which counts as an educational institution. Therefore, if I do not report this issue, it is lying. However, there is absolutely zero record of the incident: no note on the transcript, no law enforcement, no charges. In other words, if it is not disclosed, the only way the adcom would find out is if a peer sent them a note. I guess I’m wondering how an issue of this nature (nonviolent, nonacademic; purely behavioral) will affect admissions chances…
Minor incidents like breaking curfew, sneaking a beer, not turning off your cellphone will have zero impact on admissions.
Major non-academic incidents like drug dealing/possession.assault, will certainly give AOs pause.
I took a few dollars from a classmate and bought something. Ugh…
If the person you stole from is the one writing the note to the AO and the AO notes that you didn’t disclose this on the app, s/he might be curious enough to make a call. Not a risk I’d want to take, so I’d proactively disclose. It’s the right thing to do and the best way for you to mitigate the risk that the omission is discovered (which would probably put your app in the reject pile; there are simply too many good applicants out there.)
You’re right, milee30. I’ll be disclosing because it’s the right thing to do, as you said, and it’s much safer. I hope I can convince AOs to give me a second chance 
This is not a confession. Educational institution means high school. They purposely make the wording more ambiguous because they want you to divulge as much information as they can get out of you. There’s no affiliation with your school, so no one is sending a transcript to them. If you don’t have any disciplinary issues at school, just answer no.
Don’t get hung up on that. There’s always a thousand excuses admissions people can make up to deny admission. It’s they’re job to make excuses.
It’s not just about in your hs.
“Have you ever been found responsible for a disciplinary violation at any educational institution you have attended from the 9th grade (or the international equivalent) forward, whether related to academic misconduct or behavioral misconduct that resulted in a disciplinary action? These actions could include, but are not limited to: probation, suspension, removal, dismissal, or expulsion from the institution.”
OP needs the GC advice, not guesses. Some hs have a policy not to answer this question.
And unfortunately, the high school guidance counselor is asked about disciplinary issues at only the high school, so I’ll be answering “yes” while he answers “no.” Wish the CommonApp would make its wording consistent…
A theft offense will make admission highly unlikely.
OP, I don’t know what the answer is, but I think that if these summer programs expected every student having a rules violation to report it on their college applications, they would be out of business. My D attended a summer program a few years ago where the house rules were so draconian that she referred to the place as “jail”. You could be written up for everything from having more than 2 guests in your room to improper recycling. They even threatened to write D up for having a messy room. I wouldn’t be surprised if over half the kids came home with a violation slip of some sort. Never once was it mentioned that anything short of expulsion would affect college applications. Obviously some infractions are more serious than others, but the Common App seems to make no distinction between something like chewing gum in class and anything else that is short of probation, suspension, etc. It seems like a very poorly worded question and places an undue burden on applicants to decide what is reportable and what is not., especially if the infraction is not included in the GC’s report.
I would hope that the OP is smart enough to have made restitution.
More than one user here has told you to speak to your GC. Your answers should match.