<p>A while ago, two family members had just passed away, and I felt like my life was falling apart. Due to the pressure, I used a couple sentences from a website in an assignment. This is by NO means an excuse, but I feel like there should be some background. Anyways, the teacher found out and had to give me a zero. I am SO extremely regretful of what I did, and it is by no means a representation of what kind of student I am. By the end of that semester, I had a moderate grade in the class. I am now a sophomore, and have worried for the past couple days thinking about how this incident will affect my college applications. I have grown up in a family that expects a lot from me, and it is so painful to think a mistake i made as as a young kid will decide my future. My question is, will this affect my chances of getting into a prestigious college? Thank you!</p>
<p>Well first and foremost, make sure if it’s actually on your record - because it seems like you don’t actually know for sure. So try to find out – perhaps you’re worrying for nothing! </p>
<p>Anyways, in the event that it is in fact on your record and it was put down as cheating, it may be challenging for colleges (especially prestigious ones) to overlook it. Have a conversation with your Guidance Counselor and try to explain why you did it and that you know it’s wrong and that you learned from it. He or she will be able to write on your behalf in her letter of recommendation which gets sent to all schools. She’ll try to paint a picture for colleges which shines a positive light on you and your character despite the incident in her letter, so make sure she knows the whole story. </p>
<p>I usually don’t think highly of cheaters but it seems like you’re genuinely sorry and copying and pasting a sentence or two isn’t the worst form of cheating I’ve ever witnessed in my high school career, in all honesty. (I go to a high school where kids steal tests, change grades, and distribute answers via Facebook, so I’m pretty jaded and cynical about the state of our generation, lol.)</p>
<p>I don’t think it’ll be TOO big of a problem, but it’ll be a challenge that you’re going to have to maneuver around, definitely. </p>
<p>Good luck. I wish you well. 
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