<p>I was recently dismissed from my boarding school and was wondering how much that affects college admissions</p>
<p>on my transcript it only says withdraw, but I know I will have to write a statement about it</p>
<p>What grade level are you?
Have you enrolled in another high school?</p>
<p>When I left my school I was a junior but when I enrolled in my public high school I decided to be a senior</p>
<p>Upon leaving my head of school offered me to apply for a “PG” year at my school and because I am a senior now… that means I could potentially graduate with the class that I left behind</p>
<p>Why were you dismissed?</p>
<p>When studying for my AP Chem test I went on a website where tons of old AP exams are. I used those in order to practice/I knew old questions would be on my test so I wanted to know the way questions are asked etc. I happened to come across a question I didn’t quite understand and therefore spent longer than I did on the other questions. The answer on the website was very short and concise. When I started taking the test I realized that one of the free response questions was that question and I wanted to answer it in the concise manner which I saw. So I skipped that question and went on to finish the rest. By the time I finished there was only about 5 minutes left and I knew I had extra time (due to my dyslexia) so I requested to use that. Because of the way the test was distributed (which the school did not take any responsibility for, rather they blamed that on me) I had a large gap of time in between the first time and second time I took the test. </p>
<p>In between I did go on the computer, and even on the website, but before I looked at the answer I “freaked out” and realized what I was doing so I didn’t look at the answer.</p>
<p>But I was (when I looked at the test the second time) able to write essentially verbatim to the website.</p>
<p>How my school policy worked if I had “admitted” to cheating I would have been suspended (another boy in my class was suspended because of this test), but if you like in your academic honor committee hearing that is grounds for dismissal.</p>
<p>Because the AHC came to the conclusion that I cheated, that was grounds for dismissal. </p>
<p>I did, as I said before, technically withdraw. And I am hopefully going to be attending the school next year as a PG.</p>
<p>Have you been admitted for the PG year at your old school?
Does your family support the idea of another year of high school?</p>
<p>I will not know about the PG year until the summer</p>
<p>because this is only my third year of high school my family fully supports another year and however many years it takes to get into a college</p>
<p>Does anyone have any insight?</p>
<p>If it just says withdrawals youndont need to make a big deal. For all colleges know you couldn’t afford the school anymore, you needed to be back home, etc. Yu boarding school is giving you a wee break but not saying expelled and so you don’t have to address it either. </p>
<p>Many people leave schools for lots of reasons and if your school is not going to say anything, you don’t have to. Be sure and ask if anywhere it will say you cheated. If they aren’t going to write it down or report it, you don’t have to either. They don’t want to wreck your life for a really stupid action.</p>
<p>The school after the honor committee hearing does a “report/letter” to me explaining the reasoning/events they believe occurred. I do not know where this goes, but I’m assuming my “file” at that school. </p>
<p>My question is - say an admissions person calls “off the record” to my old school. Can the school say anything?</p>
<p>My other question is… If I attend the school again in the fall as a PG would I have to report it? </p>
<p>What is the wording on the common app regarding suspension/expulsion since I technically don’t fall under either of those categories - I withdrew</p>
<p>Let’s face it, this is not good. If the school takes you back it will help a lot.</p>
<p>If I don’t go back I don’t need to report it. If I do go back I might have to</p>
<p>When you are asked the question about whether you have ever been subject to a disciplinary proceeding or sanction, how do you intend on answering it?</p>
<p>I want to answer it honestly - yes.</p>
<p>But from the information I have read it is encouraged that you take full responsibility. I am prepared to take responsibility for what I did, but my schools claim to what happened and what actually happened - I briefly glanced and then freaked out - are very different stories. I know that what actually happened is hard to believe and that’s what got me dismissed, but it’s ironic because I feel the reason its hard to believe is that some people would actually do that. </p>
<p>When I say briefly glanced I mean that I was on the page itself and then realized the severity of it - I really (maybe because everything seems like such a blur - somewhat traumatic) did not see the full answers to all three parts of the question.</p>
<p>I do understand that defending myself in that way makes it worse, but I don’t know how else to explain it</p>
<p>WHy would you not need to report it if you don’t go back? You’ll need to report it either way. Colleges tend to have close ties to boarding schools with the admissions officers often talking to college counselors. I would not risk omitting this as it’s further lying. Academic dishonesty is treated seriously. Your family should consider getting a good private counselor to help you deal with this.</p>
<p>eme</p>
<p>Here’s the thing – I believe you that it was not your intent to cheat on the test, but in fact, by going to the web site, you did so. When you found out that you had done so, you had an obligation to report yourself, which you did not do. Simply put, it sounds like you did violate the honor code. I don’t think you’ve taken responsibility for this yet, but that’s besides the point.</p>
<p>Given the nature of what you did on the test inadvertantly, if you don’t report it and you get caught it will now look like you’ve done this twice. The fact that the second omission (i.e., being untruthful on your application) is not accidental will make the first offense look worst.</p>
<p>Waverly has given good advice – I think you need a good private counselor to help you do with this.</p>
<p>Zephyr
I am aware that I violated the honor code…but not to the extent I have been held to. Also the issue of extra time (creating the gap of time) is difficult to explain because of my dyslexia.
I have taken full responsibility for not admitting to what happened out of fear of no one believing.</p>
<p>I have gotten private councelors however they have been very unhelpful in explaining how colleges look at this. I know academic dishonesty is taken very seriously and aware of the major mistake I have made, but I am trying to move past this. It has proven quite difficult to do so when everything seems to now revolve around this one instant. I know that this is huge, again. But I am a pretty well qualified candidate to somewhat top tier schools and I cracked when given a huge opportunity to “cheat”. I was unable to resist, but it was one test in hundreds I have taken in high school…all in academic honesty. I know that selective colleges need reasons to not accept applicants but is there anyway they might view it as a “growing experience” cliche as it is. It really has been…I won’t bore you with further detail.</p>
<p>This won’t ruin your college career. However, what buggin me is that you used your ADHD extra time to try and cheat. Have you used that unnessecary time before to your advantage.</p>
<p>The best answer is from your school. If asked will they tell. How will they address the misconduct wi admissions people and the forms they fill out. If they are not going to report it, and thus not double punish you, don’t report it.</p>
<p>Yu sadly may not have the same choices you had before, but not the worst thing In The world. </p>
<p>But this is one of those why did he get extra time on tests when maybe he didn’t need it.</p>