<p>This has been bothering me so much. I had to write why I was suspended for one day on the application. But I wrote it in a positive way, rather than dreading on it I talked about the good outcomes and what I learned from it.</p>
<p>Would this significantly lower my chances of being accepted?</p>
<p>can you still be admitted? absolutely
does it hurt your chances? absolutely, especially depending on why you were suspended, not just how you’ve reacted to it.</p>
<p>My best friend’s son is facing this next fall as he applies to universities. He had a rough two years, but as a junior has turned it around so completely that he was even named MVP on his high school football team. I have discussed with my friend how her son needs to use these early (bad) experiences to demonstrate how school–his coaches and teachers–helped turn him around. He truly is a success story on many levels and with hope, admissions officers will recognize a diamond in the rough who can make a contribution in important ways. For you, it is what it is at this point. As you said, you put a positive spin on it–hopefully in what you learned from the situation, etc. Best wishes to you.</p>
<p>Colleges know that teenagers screw up from time to time. It’s the nature of the kid to push limits and occasionally to make bad decisions. The important thing, according to everything I’ve learned (I teach high school) through the years is that if kids own up to what they did, sincerely learn from these bad decisions and realize that only they can be in charge of their own decision-making, then colleges will appreciate and see the growth. I would guess there are some schools that would be hesitant, again, depending on the situation, but for the most part I would say that schools will keep an open mind. Good luck! Fix what went wrong if you can, and try to think more clearly next time.</p>
<p>I have a friend who got temporarily suspended from her HS and got into Stanford EA. She was an outstanding applicant, but still, it’s possible. Maybe admissions takes it as being “well rounded”? Lol.</p>