<p>I was wondering if my criminal record is going to affect me trying to get into private colleges?
any help would really be appreciated. I was charged on robbery and vandalism of school property when I was 13 yrs old. If you need more info message me. Thanks</p>
<p>Find out if your record is sealed when you become 18. </p>
<p>Find out if your record is the type that once you’re 18, you’re allowed to say that you haven’t been convicted.</p>
<p>Get in touch with the attorney who represented you at the time. He should be able to help you find out. If you don’t know who that is, I imagine your parents will. It’s only five years ago – not that long in the experience of parenting.</p>
<p>Good luck to you. Something stupid you did at such a young age should be forgiven, IMHO.</p>
<p>You might want to contact some legal aid organization or a lawyer (if that is possible) as this could haunt you not only in getting into college but getting a job later on. If the record can be purged (not being a lawyer I do not know the right term) but it is on line of mom2collegekids posting, it will save you considerable grief later on. You do not want to explaining at the age of 33 what you did at the age of 13. Hence, getting a good legal advice is worth it in my opinion.</p>
<p>and I can find this information with the court I was sentenced in?
Oh and thanks by the way.</p>
<p>Time is your friend when it comes to past bad choices. It sounds like this is several years ago in your past at this point. If your record is not sealed/purged, then you should be upfront with the admissions office (they won’t want to find out later) AND also include a letter to them that documents all your good choices since then (work, school, clubs, service hours, church attendance – anything that shows you’ve changed since age 13). You can also make clear what you’ve learned since then (picking more mature friends, building more impulse control, finding other ways to deal with frustrations). </p>
<p>People change all the time. You just have to show that you are one of the ones who changed for the better and are ready to be an interesting and capable addition to their campus.</p>
<p>It might be best to move the bodies to a more remote location. But do it under cover of darkness, and wear dark clothing, and never…oh, wait. Did you say robbery?</p>
<p>Nevermind.</p>
<p>You can start with the clerk’s office in the court. States have various statutes relating to expungement and/or sealing the records. Some states will expunge juvenile records automatically after a certain amount of time has passed while an increasing number of states do it upon application. You will also need to know exactly how the adjudication is worded. Some juvenile adjudcations are not really convictions and, depending on how the question is worded, would not be revealed. Some applications ask for arrests and not just convictions, however, so that is a different situation.</p>
<p>My guess is that if you are able to convey in a good essay how you were a wild child (like so many) at age 13 but that this event turned you around and made you get serious and focus on goals, it would not hurt you in the least. Of course, it must be backed up with decent grades and good recommendations.</p>