Suspension on College Apps

I’m graduating in 7 months and I just made the biggest mistake of my life. I posted a few tweets that were crude, violent, and included profanity and threatening language, and have been suspended for 2 days. I’m full of remorse and really afraid that I won’t get into a good college. I’m terrified, actually, and don’t know what to do.

Did you apply to schools yet or no

no

Have you talked about this yet with your college counselor? It is time for you to get going on your applications right now, anyway. Are you done with your standardized testing? Have you opened up a Common App account?

I would say if you really wanted to transfer to a different school that would remove the suspension on your transcript. Otherwise accept responsibility and talk about it in one of your essays or additional info section.

Transfer?? As a senior partway through the year??? Ridiculous advice in #4, both first sentence and second sentence. Don’t waste precious essay space on excuses, OP.

I’ve already talked to my counselor about this and I’m just about done with applying, all that’s left are essays and I have one more ACT to take this weekend.

You honestly should add some more safeties. You want to make sure you have choices in the spring.

However, your offense does seem pretty minor (I obviously can’t know what was specifically said in your tweets). Compared to plagarism or stealing, it’s not anything nearing a crime. While I agree that you should maybe add a few safeties, I think most colleges will see it as just teenage stupidity, maybe lack of judgement, and not a complete disqualifier in the admissions process.

^ Really?

I would say that may be considered worse than plagiarism.

You did it, own it. Don’t shy away from it. It’s part of your record. It won’t be on your college record but it will likely have an impact on your acceptances at private colleges. Perhaps an essay about how dumb it was, how embarrassing it is, and how remorseful you are will have an impact. The important thing is to find a way forward even if it causes you to be rejected at all of the colleges that you had previously considered. Make sure you find some colleges that will accept you anyway. When you get to college, live a more honorable life and you will be fine. We can all answer the question “The dumbest thing I did in my life was …”. You now have yours. It will not ruin your life, just change it. Make that change positive.

How is the suspension recorded on your record? Does it mention violence, threatening language, etc? This is a red flag for most colleges. Did you, or are you going through any counseling? Was local law enforcement involved? Were these directed towards the school, teacher or classmate? Were you switched out of a class or instructed to stay away from whomever the tweets were directed at? Many colleges will flag this application and some may reach out to the counselor for further clarification.

May I add the fact that it was a short suspension may be taken into consideration. The application will be looked at in totality. Do you have EC’s that reflect community involvement, etc.?

I think it specifically says class 1 threats, 2 day OSS Suspension. Law enforcement was not involved, and IM going through my own counseling and just asked the other family if they would like to go through “restorative practices”. I was switched out of one of the two classes I had with the classmate I was referring to in the tweets, but I wasn’t explicitly told to stay away from her. My EC’s include clubs that promote community service and volunteer, I’ve volunteered with the library and am in the midst of orientation to be a volunteer at a local science center.

You’re a male who made b crude, violent, profane laced threatening statements** about a female classmate and you’re worried about how it will affect you? Where’s your concern for the effect it had on her?

As a woman and a mother of a daughter, I’m not eager to have you on any college campus with young women next fall, and if I were a college administrator I don’t think I’d be so eager to accept you either. With so many cases of violence against women being reported on college campuses, why would an adcom want to take a chance on someone who’s given them fair warning that he believes that type of behavior is okay?

@ClassicRockerDad offered some excellent advice about using this experience to create a positive change in yourself. I hope you take it. Counseling is a good start. Maybe you’d benefit from a gap year as well.

Please don’t assume that I’m a male because I am not. And believe me, I know how this has affected her, and I truly do feel terrible about what I did. However, this is a forum for questions that are college related, which is why I’ve brought this question on here. Just because I didn’t mention my concern for the girl doesn’t mean I don’t have any. I’m bringing my college concerns to a college forum, that’s all.

I thought you were male also, but my advice to own it still stands. You have the rest of your life to look forward to being the honorable and respectable person that you want to be. Like yourself. What will be will be. There will be a path forward.