<p>The suspension is 1-3 days for cheating on a test. And the counselor does not want to write any recommendation letters for the students, neither does the teacher. And the students got a -80 on the test. Some students will have to retake a semester of the class for Senior year. And some are being considered to be dropped from AP and put into a regular class.</p>
<p>^With a major disciplinary issue like that on their official transcript, it will definitely impact their chances of being accepted into many major colleges. While colleges may be willing to overlook a number of wrongdoings, academic cheating is not one that is taken lightly…nor should it be. </p>
<p>I never understood why supposedly intelligent students suddenly feel the need to cut corners, but I’m glad to see the school handling it the way they are. Too many times these types of things are hushed up or swept under the rug, and the offender(s) learn nothing of the consequences of their actions. With permanent proof of cheating on their transcripts, these students will have to explain to every college they apply to why they chose to cheat. Good luck coming up with a plausible excuse.</p>
<p>Will they get accepted to a college somewhere…absolutely. Will most of them get turned down by the colleges they wanted to attend (and probably thought they “deserved” to attend)…absolutely. Life lessons rarely come without a harsh reality “slap in the face” coming along with it. Bumper stickers often say it best: Life is Tough…It’s Tougher if you’re Stupid.</p>
<p>Kudos to the school for taking them to task.</p>
<p>Long and short, yes. Sorry to hear about that. Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>If there was ever a situation where a professional outside college adviser was called for, this is it.</p>
<p>Obviously, it’s a negative. Does it mean that it’s impossible to get into a top college, assuming everything else is great – Honestly, I don’t know.</p>
<p>My gut is that this cannot be avoided in the application process. The student must deal with this up front, admitting to it being an error, taking responsibility for the error, and making the case that this was an aberration. There should be no trying to make excuses, or avoidance of blame, for any reason.</p>
<p>Will this be enough – Honestly, I don’t know.
How much will it hurt – Honestly, I don’t know.
Are there specific schools that will be more responsive to a contrite student who admits to and takes responsibility for an error – There must be.</p>
<p>End of the day – no matter how dark it looks, it’s not the end of the world, but you may need professional assistance as to how to handle this.</p>