<p>As many have said, you must check in your state as for whether juvenile records are always sealed and if the record was properly expunged. Expungement is a process that requires several steps and it is best to do your own background check to make sure it has been done properly. If so, a routine background check will NOT uncover the arrest.</p>
<p>No comment on the legal issues, but here’s a perspective I heard from college admission officers in a panel discussion. They said that they were looking for issues that could be a problem for a student who comes to live in their college community. Drinking/marijuana, not a big problem. Theft, sexual assualt, violent crime etc. - that’s a problem.</p>
<p>
Again, this is why you need to ask a lawyer in the relevant state:</p>
<p>Define the following words using the legal definitions used in your state:</p>
<ul>
<li>conviction</li>
<li>property crime</li>
<li>juvenile</li>
<li>sealed</li>
<li>expunged</li>
</ul>
<p>These are legal terms that are subject to definition by the legislature in the relevant state. Nobody here that is qualified to answer would answer.</p>
<p>If you are genuinely interested in the right answer then here’s what you should do. </p>
<p>I’m going to assume that there was a lawyer who helped your child at the time of the offense. Call that lawyer and ask to follow up on the case with one question:</p>
<p>“Mr./Ms. attorney, my child who you represented in 200* has to answer the question, ‘Have you ever been convicted of a crime?’ What is the truthful answer to this question? Thank you for your time.”</p>
<p>As a criminal attorney, I wouldn’t even think of sending the client a bill under this circumstance and no reputable attorney would. Most of us would view this as an opportunity to reconnect with a satisfied client and generate goodwill and if it took longer than one question, we wouldn’t mind one bit.</p>
<p>In the event you can’t contact that lawyer, contact one in your community with the question.</p>
<p>Again, I think you need to be concerned with MORE than just the official channels/records. Does anyone else in the known universe know that this was the kid that did XYZ? The answer is almost certainly “yes” – and that means it can travel to the ears of those on the kid’s campus. So, what will the school’s viewpoint be if everyone from the janitor to the Dean of Students knows this kid’s past? </p>
<p>I wish the student had addressed this throughly before submitting the Common Ap.<br>
I would think that many colleges would not particularly care about the past – but might care very, very much if they think they have been lied to on the common ap. I’m not an attorney or an admissions officer, but doesn’t that make sense? </p>
<p>Even at this late date, perhaps it still is the correct thing to say “look, here’s what happened and here’s why I answered the way I did. Are you guys at Cozy College ok with this situation?” Then, when they say “we’re fine.” the student can get down the road buying curtains or posters for the dorm room.</p>
<p>And again, I diagree with olymom. Don’t disclose anything that is not required to be disclosed. They wrote the rules and all you should do is follow them. JMO.</p>
<p>Everybody read speihei’s post again. Good stuff.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Property crime committed by a juvenille, in my opinion, would not be a reason that would disqualify someone from going to a college. Of course, I don’t know which college the person in particular applied to but in general youthful indescrections are part of our society and something we hope he grows out of now that he is an adult. </p>
<p>The Common Application question regarding this is:
</p>
<p>Whether the record has been sealed or not, I think the only correct answer to this question is yes. It gives a place to explain the circumstances and describe what you learned from the experience, and a person can note that the record has been sealed.</p>
<p>The application further notes:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Can the college find out? Possibly. Will they find out? I think it is unlikely if the person keeps quiet about it and behaves in college.</p>
<p>bigtrees- You are not correct. “Conviction” may be “no conviction” if certain terms are met and the record is expunged.</p>
<p>My suggestion to the lawyers posting: there is nothing more that we can say. This has become something other than a discussion of what is legally required of anapplicant. The OP should have what they need to proceed. Again, JMO.</p>
<p>Normally I wouldn’t get involved in this kind of discussion but I have to quote what MWC quoted from Texas law:
If it’s a required truth under oath, how is it not at any other time?</p>
<p>I don’t know. Ask the legislature.</p>