<p>Hi, I have a suspension which I got when I was in 10th grade, and I've heard it really kills your chances of admission to high ranked schools. However, I have a connection to the school board director, who's also a upenn alumni (and taught there previously) who's willing to write me a paper explaining what happened and encouraging them to overlook it. Would that sort of purge the suspension in upenn's view, or will my chances of admission still be lower than the average applicant?</p>
<p>what did u get suspendedfor</p>
<p>The explanation would probably be viewed more favorably if it came from your guidance counselor, rather than a personal friend (the s.b.director.) Also, I believe there is a place for you to explain the suspension.</p>
<p>I got into a little fight with my friend in 10th grade, and we both got suspended. There is a place to explain it, but I've heard that ivy leagues don't even consider applications with suspensions.</p>
<p>Not true at all. Your suspension for fighting should not hurt you at all. Don't make excuses- just a concise explanation of what happened and what you learned from it. Your guidance counselor writing the same thing will help.
Boys fighting is a non-event to admissions people, unless it involves guns or knives.</p>
<p>Not true at all. Son has friends at Brown and Princeton. Not just suspended but in worse trouble than that and definitely reported to the schools.</p>
<p>Not reporting it could help more, though. </p>
<p>However, it would mean lying.</p>
<p>So you have a choice to make, which I leave to you, without my own judgement:</p>
<p>A better chance (how much better is arguable) at getting into your dream school, vs. Being Ethical.</p>
<p>I'm House, though, so that's not much of a decision for me =D</p>
<p>who won the fight?</p>
<p>oh yeah, if you lost AND got suspended, that would basically tell an adcom that you're a girl.</p>
<p>House- The problem is that if you don't disclose it (as required on many applications) and it appears somewhere else in your application materials, you are finished! If a teacher rec mentions it- i.e. "Bobby has matured in so many ways since the unfortunate incident in 10th grade where he beat the c%%p out of his nice little classmate" or a counselor.. "Bobby's record is perfect in every respect save the minor incident in 10th grade. Fortunately, the other student healed nicely"- you better have it on your application!</p>
<p>now that i think about it, which part on the common app asked about school misdemeanors?</p>
<p>i remember a box to explain criminal misdemeanors, but not school ones.</p>
<p>It may not be on the common app, but many of the schools require a supplement, and it is on the supplements. I can assure you it is on Penn's.</p>
<p>Ah, Mom. Thanks =] </p>
<p>That would be funny and really suck actually -- "the other boy healed nicely." Haha.</p>
<p>Yes, that is too cute.</p>