<p>Ultimately whether one does or does not disclose their arrest or conviction is up to the applicant. Depending on the school and/or state, it may or may not be fraudulent to not report; regardless it is, or at least it should be, a heavy weight on the applicant’s conscience should s/he not disclose.</p>
<p>That said, you should be mindful that many colleges and/or universities can and do suspend, expel, or even retroactively revoke a student’s admission if they find that the student lied on his/her application. Private colleges and universities can even retroactively retract a student’s diploma, after they’ve graduated, should they find reason to do so (see the case of Charles Yoo at MIT about a decade ago, though not related to his application at all, if you’re curious). Of course this depends in large measure on the nature of the crime(s) committed and what has occurred in the meantime, but it does happen.</p>
<p>Those who are arguing voraciously that juvenile youthful offender programs don’t qualify under the question’s wording, you best think twice. Does no one remember the case of Gina Grant, who had her admission to Harvard rescinded/revoked in 1995 after it was found she lied on the conviction question on her application? (Her lawyers later unsuccessfully argued that she was processed as an “adjudicated delinquent,” and thus had answered truthfully - I don’t remember what college she ended up at subsequently).</p>
<p>Lastly, if the application in question is a law school application, lying or “omitting information” can have lifelong consequences. While not applicable to every state, I know that law schools in many states are required to keep copies of enrolling students’ law school applications for review by various state bar associations should they inquire about them or even require them. Several states’ bar associations do look at these documents - for example, the Texas bar requires a copy of a student’s law school application. Answering “no” on a law school application and later answering “yes” on a bar application could result in failing to be admitted to the bar - which could effectively end one’s legal career. This INCLUDES any convictions that may be purged, sealed, or dismissed, INCLUDING juvenile offenses under this category. Lying on an undergraduate admissions application could also affect the process - for example, the Massachusetts Bar rules state, “There shall be a rebuttable presumption that nondisclosure of a material fact on the candidate’s application(s) to the bar, law school or undergraduate school is prima facie evidence of the lack of good character.”</p>
<p>From the Tulane Law School: “**This includes offenses which resulted in purged, sealed, obliterated, dismissed, or destroyed records, regardless of whether you have been told that you need not disclose any such event. ** Many state bar authorities require that the law school provide a copy of your admission application when you apply for admission to a state bar. If state bar authorities note any discrepancy between answers to questions on the admission application and responses to questions on the state bar application (for example, in response to questions about criminal or disciplinary proceedings, or in response to questions about previous enrollment at educational institutions), they will investigate further. In some cases, discrepancies of this sort have caused serious problems for recent law school graduates seeking bar admission. Applicants are cautioned to provide full and accurate responses to all questions on the law school application.” (bolding emphasis my own)</p>
<p>Why risk it? Disclose and explain. There’s a good likelihood the information will somehow reach the admissions office in any event. Better to be proactive and explanatory.</p>