Just out of curiosity, if you got caught for plagiarism, would it have any bearing on admission chances if does not get mentioned on the transcript or in a recommendation letter? Potentially, colleges could not find out at all right? If this was the case, would plagiarism would only affect the grade? I am asking this question because my friend got caught and is really worried.
If it doesn’t show up, the colleges will never know. Unless, of course, if your teacher/counselor explicitly mentions the incident in his/her LOR.
The effect on your grade can be obviously not be hid from the universities. But, they won’t come to know that it’s because of plagiarism or some other incident.
P.S. If your school awards an F or a 0 for plagiarism, and if the grades are good only except that one particular F, the college may raise a red flag. In that case, they may contact the counselor for an explanation and if they do that, they’ll know the reason behind the low grade.
Your “friend” should be okay if it’s not noted anywhere. However “he” should speak to “his” GC to make sure this is not mentioned when applying.
I do have to point out that most applications ask you to report any issues of this type that you might have been involved in. After which, you are invited to explain what happened in detail.
I agree with @JustOneDad. The truly important question is not “can he get away with it?” but rather “what’s the right thing to do?”. Your “friend” has already demonstrated a lack of integrity once, what do you believe universities will do if he lies on his application and is detected (for example, a recommendation from a teacher or counselor that alludes to his academic dishonesty/plagiarism)?
Your “friend” ought to be aware that many selective colleges go to pains to maintain relationships with HS counselors. So even if nothing is written down, it might come up in a phone call when the adcom asks about the current crop of applicants.
^ ^ ^ ^
Very true.