<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>hey heysam, I feel really bad for you! I’m so sorry. First off all, console yourself that many, many worse things could have happened to you, and that you WILL find a college that’s right for you, that will overlook it. I think you would be smart to confront it head-on, and possibly to get an extra letter from guidance and/or your teacher explaining the situation.
(Honestly, I wouldn’t mention the constant vomiting part, though!) Good luck to you.</p>
<p>That’s a hard question. Personally, I would not recommend highlighting the fact that you are a plagiarist, but if you really think that you can do something extraordinary with that essay, you must be guided by your own best instincts.</p>
<p>Although he plagiarized, it’s a little harsh to say “you are a plagiarist.” I wouldn’t define him by one mistake he made. He’s going to have to explain that D- on his transcript somehow, I would think. If it’s a senior year anomaly, they are going to wonder, unless there are some schools that won’t ask for 1st semester grades. heysam, I’d ask your guidance department for help with this.</p>
<p>The above is completely correct. You won’t be able to steer the conversation away from what happened, as it’s going to be obvious on your transcript that something is amiss. You have to do in your application what you’ve done in your post above: own it. Don’t run from it, and if the experience is as important to you as you say it is, you need to feel comfortable talking about it and writing about it as well. You are, after all, still in high school and we know you make mistakes, and while we don’t ask for perfection, we do want to know you have the introspection required to understand yourself and the lessons life provides for you.</p>
<p>I’ll add that while I think the experience could make for a good Common app essay, it doesn’t have to be. Though, if you choose to write about something else, it is imperative that you find another space in your application to tell us what happened.</p>