Does anyone know about any colleges that don’t look at disciplinary records?
What type of offenses? Out-of-school suspensions? Expulsions?
Out of school suspension
But what did you do. Smoke weed. Get in a fight.
Your disciplinary record is going to be provided to the school. Have your guidance counselor address the issue in the counselor’s report with info about how far you have come. You need to address the issue (if it was serious) in your personal statement to the school. How it will affect you will largely depend on what happened, how much time has passed, and how strong of a candidate you are otherwise. I would strongly caution you against publishing your personal info on the net. This may be one of the rare times that I’d say that paying a college consultant to help you may be worthwhile. There is someone on CC Sally Rubenstone who may be in a better position to assist. I would encourage you to PM her.
Can somebody just please name some colleges that don’t look at out of school suspensions? Thank you.
Um, no. It sounds like it’s on your official record. So everyone will “look” at it.
The question of whether they will deny you because of it really depends on the infraction. So not sure we can help you and I don’t suggest you post what it is here.
I mean colleges that don’t ask the question on the Common App
The question is in the “common” section of the common app. All colleges will see that information.
Right. To the best of my knowledge, there are no such schools.
They don’t want to take a risk on someone who will potentially damage their reputation or hurt their students.
My suggestion is to speak to your counselor and see whether she can explain the suspension to mitigate its effect.
If it’s on your transcript, every college you apply to will see it. I think your options may be to start at a cc or ask your guidance counselor to address it in their letter. You could take a gap year, I suppose, but then you may not be able to get your guidance counselor’s help. Go speak to your guidance counselor to see what they can do.
Find out from your school if this will appear on the transcript. There are hundreds of schools that don’t require the Common App, or letters of recommendation, but just require test scores and a high school transcript.
What do you want to study? What is your college budget? What are your test scores and current GPA?
I am sorry to disagree a bit here. If you were in a school fight, especially one where you where not the instigator and it’s not s pattern. And you caught a mandatory suspension it is one thing. If you bunked school or you were caught smoking etc
I don’t suggest you list what it was other than if it meets the type of criteria above.
If it was more serious than that. Anything with heightened concerns for safety, bullying, harassment or cheating you will have to address at time of admission.
But remember people have been to prison and can get into college. You are not locked out. Just need a history of rehabilitation and great letters of recommendation from school officials. Or you can go to a community college and transfer to your state university. The time has elsapsed will help as well.
If it is a nothing burger like I described. You can explain the situation and it should be fine for all but the selective schools and above. They just have too many students competing to take a chance.
Also look for schools that are under enrolled and need students.
And I hope you have changed for the better.
You don’t need to explain what you did precisely but listing 4-5 things at the same level, as examples of the thing you may have done (perhaps including what you did, or maybe not) will allow us to tell you how it’ll be received by college admissions whether it’ll mean you’re automatically denied or not.
If it’s on your transcript all colleges will see it. If it’s expunged they won’t. anything that needs to be checked on commonapp will be checked and will be seen.
If it involves bullying, violence, or sexual harassment/misconduct your counselor can(will) be called.
You can apply to automatic admissions colleges, where GPA*sat score results in admissions.
Other colleges, it’ll depend on what sort of offense it was and whether it’s listed or not.
Not all schools list suspensions on transcripts.
Have you asked to see a copy of your transcript to see what or how it’s listed?
Can someone maybe list some different incidents and how they would affect my chances? Like how fighting would look, how drugs would look on admissions, etc?
It depends on what the incident involved, how long ago it was, and what you’ve done since to redeem yourself. We can’t really give you a scale of indiscretion, because even within a type of issue (say, fighting), one type of incident might be seen as more severe than another.
Generally speaking, drugs issues are considered a big deal.
This is from a lengthy article. It says it best. And all about keeping it honest. Keeping it to the point.
“Disciplinary problems that involve academic dishonesty, drugs or alcohol, or violence will be of particular concern for colleges. Beyond that, the specific circumstances of your situation matter as well. What influenced you to make this poor decision? How did you handle the disciplinary process? Did you admit culpability, show regret, and make restitution for your actions? Was this an isolated incident or part of a larger pattern? Did you make positive changes in your life afterward?”
Specifically what about drugs
Dude, you offer no specifics so you’re getting vague answers. Share or settle.
More broadly (since that’s all we can do) try to think of it from the school’s perspective. If they are some huge, faceless anthill of kids with little reputation to protect (eg Eastern Middle Flyover State Teachers College) then they aren’t going to be as picky as some heritage-soaked Blueblood College. Did you kill someone or get caught with four wine coolers at a grad party? Was there a dealer-sized baggie of felony grade narcotics or was it a dime bag in Denver?
Think about their concerns, then think about what you have to offer in the way of assuring the school that it wasn’t a big deal and it won’t happen again. Did you go to treatment and turn a page? Were you sent to the workhouse for a month and get scared straight? Can you show any meaningful change? If you got caught again a month later it’s not going to look good.
TLDR - There’s no simple answer, so you need a story to explain your facts. Don’t search for excuses, but explain what happened and try to show contrition and change. Or pick a crappier school with lower standards.