<p>I was recently caught for plagiarism. It was an isolated incident, so while I received a zero for the assignment, I was not suspended. My first term grade for the class will be a D-.
I have proven myself capable of writing well without any possibility of cheating (in-class essays, for example) and my guidance counselors and teachers all consider me a student of high integrity.
If I my application is otherwise relatively strong, but not outstanding, and I can pull my grade up for second term, do I still even stand a chance?</p>
<p>Also, this incident taught me a lot about who I can hurt by cheating, what my own capabilities are, and how important it is for me to be able to rest on my morals (after I submitted the essay, I even became physically ill, constantly vomiting, because of the guilt and emotional duress). Since it was such an important moment in my life, I am heavily considering writing about it for my common app essay. Would emphasizing the incident only hurt me, even if I was writing about how everything it taught me will prevent me from ever plagiarizing again?</p>
<p>It’s a risk writing it for your essay. I once read about a girl who got caught taking marijuana and wrote about it. It got her accepted into Duke if I recall correctly. Make sure your essay is really good, though. The fact is what’s done is done, but if you don’t expand on it, the admissions people will probably assume the worst. However, isn’t there an extra essay section on the common app for stuff like this? It’s like the penultimate section before your signature or something. So it wouldn’t be your main common app essay, or would it? I guess it could be. </p>
<p>^^ If you are referring to Becca Janol in “The Gatekeepers”, even admissions officers at schools with high amounts of student drug use viewed her very harshly, despite the fact that the incident with a pot-brownie being isolated, she was punished for it, and Janol later served as an advocate against student drug use. They saw marijuana on her record and stopped right there, even though these same officers admitted a crap-load of pot smokers who just didn’t get caught, while I doubt Janol touched drugs in college. I believe she went to Cornell off a waitlist and was accepted under the condition that her admission be deferred either a semester or a year. </p>
<p>People in academia look on plagiarism much, much more harshly than a flirtation with drugs. It will be a red flag on your application, even though you won’t do it again and Harvard admitted sketchy folks like Kaavya Viswanathan and Blair Hornstine before getting wind of their activities. You have no choice to be upfront and contrite about what you have done because it will surely show up in your materials, probably from your guidance counselor recommendation. I would discuss the best way to tackle this issue with your counselor, but be prepared for some disappointments come this April.</p>
<p>I would suggest not to. Although with great writing, an experience of plagiarism and show of remorse MIGHT work towards your application, the fact that it’s RECENT is what worries me. If you really want to write it, you should definitely show the draft to your teacher and your counselor so they can give you suggestions. But be careful, because plagiarism is a BIG no no to colleges~ Good Luck!!!</p>
<p>I really don’t know if writing about it for your main college essay would help (my instinct is that it wouldn’t), but I can tell you that Wellesley has a very strict and well-respected honor code. If any college is going to consider that a “red flag” on your app as WendyMouse said, it will be Wellesley.</p>
<p>Yes, the honor code is a HUUUUUUGE deal at Wellesley. Everything is done on the honor code. You even choose when you want to take your finals and take them at your leisure thanks to the honor code. </p>
<p>I would personally suggest writing a normal personal statement for the common app. But there should be a section for institutional action or something like that where you’re actually required to talk about anything like that. Write the most eloquent explanation you’ve ever written before, and make it heartfelt. DO NOT make excuses. Write in such a way as to make yourself endearing to the admissions people. Focus on what you learned from it. You want to sound like a good kid who just made a stupid mistake, and that cheating is really not your character.</p>
<p>You said that your teachers and guidance counselor think you’re a student with good integrity overall. Make sure that they address that in your application. Not sure how the teacher for the class you cheated on feels about you… but if he/she thinks you’re a great student and KNOWS that you’ve learned from your experience and still thinks you deserve to get accepted. It might be a great thing to have him/her write one of your recommendation letters and explain the situation.</p>