<p>During my junior year, I was suspended for two days for being under the influence of alcohol at a school dance. It was a one-time dumb thing I did and I have accepted total responsibility for a very bad decision I made. I am otherwise a very good candidate for Columbia but I have no way to know how badly this will hurt me with the admissions committee. Does anyone know of someone who was admitted to Columbia after a suspension like mine? Or to any other schools the caliber of Columbia? Have I completely wiped out my chances for the Ivys and other top tier colleges? I'm losing alot of sleep over this and I don't know what strategy to use in my application process (aim high or aim low because of the suspension.)</p>
<p>If I were you I'd first find out, without a shadow of a doubt, that the suspension is actually listed on your perm. transcript. See if there's a way to check out your unofficial transcript.<br>
If you know for a fact that it's there, you seriously need to understand that what's done is done; there's simply nothing you can do to change it. At this point, your main goal should be to prove to the admissions committee that you truly are Columbia material. My suggestion: write the best damn essay you've ever written in your life. To appease your short-term anxiety, understand that the committee members are human too (although they're really really important humans) and all humans make dumb mistakes.</p>
<p>Terrisol,
How is the application worded for you and your GC. If you write a great essay accepting responsibility going into what you learned and how you have changed from the experience it will help a lot. Have someone who is a great GC read it for you or hire a private counselor if you don't know someone who has experience with these type of letters. If your GC has to adress this in her recommendation from Columbia, check her form, then sit and talk to her. If she vouches that this was a one time deal totally unlike you and not representative of who you are, vouches for your responsibility and contribution to the school, then that too will help a lot. So step one is check Columbia's app. It won't keep you out of all the Ivys if you are a strong candidate. I don't know for Columbia however. Also have a n interview and wow them. Don't give up on your dreams, you just have to work a little harder. Good luck!</p>
<p>Relax kid. I was suspended, for publically showing up the dean--a bit more serious than playing with alcohol, I'd say. As long as you have the other parts in place, you'll be fine: this is Columbia, not West Point.</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses. Although the suspension does not show on my transcript it will be reported by the school on the secondary school report form (in answer to the suspension question). The person reporting it does not know me very well and said that she will just be putting a short statement of the facts (doesn't seem eager to do much else). Gatsby, thanks for your post. It helps to know that someone with a less than perfect discipline record got thru.</p>