<p>I've heard a lot about how your permanent record can make or break you when it comes down to colleges looking for that special someone. I know colleges look into gpa and attendance, but do they look into disciplinary actions as well? Say if someone got suspended in the 10th grade, would it jeopardize his chances to get into an Ivy League school? What do you guys think?</p>
<p>There’s some stuff here that needs to be clarified, I think.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>There’s a world of difference between “getting into college” and “getting into an Ivy League school.” Most graduating seniors can do the former as long as they cast a wide enough net, and most valedictorians and salutatorians are good enough to do the latter, but are unsuccessful anyway.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t think colleges–even highly selective ones–are looking for “that special someone.” That’s eHarmony. Colleges are trying to build a freshman class; they can build a good class with or without any individual applicant.</p></li>
<li><p>Colleges aren’t looking at your GPA, exactly; they’re looking at your transcript as a whole. Your transcript includes your GPA, but it’s much more than that. It says something about you, through the courses you selected. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>I don’t know of any college that’s interested in your attendance, as long as you’re not routinely missing 30 days of school per year.</p>
<ol>
<li> As for your question about a suspension in sophomore year: it depends on a lot of things. What was it for? Was the infraction dramatically out of character for you, or was it part of an ongoing pattern of behavior? Mind you, I’m not asking you to tell me these things. I’m just trying to give some idea of what it depends on.</li>
</ol>
<p>Yes, you’ll be asked on the Common Application about school (and criminal) disciplinary actions, and yes, you’ll need to answer honestly. (Your guidance counselor will also be asked to report any disciplinary actions at school, so you’ll need to be on the same page with him or her.) Yes, a suspension may make it harder for you to be admitted to highly selective colleges; they have more than enough applicants who are highly qualified academically and who don’t have a disciplinary record. But a suspension doesn’t necessarily make it impossible to be admitted.</p>
<p>In the Common Application, you’ll be asked to explain any disciplinary actions such as suspensions that you’ve faced. Be honest. If you did something that was stupid and out of character for you, take responsibility for it, but express regret and affirm that it isn’t like you to do whatever it was. If you used to be like that, but you’ve reformed, say so. If it truly was out of character, or you truly have changed your ways, ask your counselor whether he or she is willing to say so in the Secondary School Report. Ask the teachers who write you recommendations whether they are willing to address your character. Still, you might not get into Columbia. But, honestly, you might not have gotten into Columbia even if you’d never been suspended. And if you don’t get into Columbia, you’ll never really know the reason why. In fact, often there isn’t really any reason why students don’t get into Ivies, except that there’s not enough room for anyone else in the freshman dorms.</p>
<p>Colleges don’t care about your attendance record in the slightest</p>