<p>So I just went through a long and arduous disciplinary process at my Ivy League institution. I received the decision and am facing expulsion. I will appeal, but that likely won't work.</p>
<p>What do I do with my life? I've looked for answers on the internet, but I can't find much. Will any other institutions accept me with this on my record? Do I apply as a transfer? Should I join the military? Become homeless?</p>
<p>I've done amazingly academically at my school, and have great extracurriculars and whatnot..</p>
<p>How many years have you been in college at this point? What field(s) are you interested in? Do you have any job skills? </p>
<p>Can you get an attorney to help you appeal? The latter could be VERY helpful, to be sure that you have your side adequately represented, especially since you say the accusations are false. If the charge sticks and is attached to your college record, it could affect job options and other things going forward, I THINK but don’t KNOW. Any attorney you retain could find out for you and also see be able to lay out your options clearly.</p>
<p>Before I concede I’m likely to be expelled, I would give it the best fight I could and that generally means retaining a good attorney who has experience in these matters. Talk with your folks.</p>
<p>I have two semesters of credit. I don’t have any specific job skills, and yes, I have fought for this as hard as I could. Now I’m asking what I should do now that I have lost…</p>
<p>If you can still appeal, you still have a chance to win this. Until the appeal has been ruled upon, you have NOT lost. You still have time to get an attorney to help you, if you haven’t had one to date.</p>
<p>I’d contact your local community college about enrolling there and try to get a part-time job while figuring out next steps. At most states, CCs have to accept all residents.</p>
<p>You’d have to check with your Ivy to see what is entered into your college record about this incident and expulsion, if that is what they are saying will happen. You might ask the school counselor what your options are at this point, as you are NOT the first or only kiddo who has been expelled from a school, regardless of the truth of the accusations. I’m not sure that all Us handle explusions the same way.</p>
<p>Our D was asked not to return to her HS due to extended (health-related) absences. Do not believe it showed up anywhere in her HS record as to why she left HS after JR year. Obviously your situation is different and you have to learn what your U will be writing in your college record and revealing if future Us and/or employers contact them. Your U should disclose this important information to you about how they will handle this so you can move forward accordingly.</p>
<p>You start with your own university. Find out what information will be recorded in your permanent file there. What will your transcript look like, and is there anything that you can do to have the information that you were not in good standing when you left removed from your history. Sometimes a certain number of months or years studying elsewhere or pursuing non-academic activities can serve as basis for a formal petition to change your status. Sometimes the blot is on a record for all eternity. You need to know what things are in your specific case.</p>
<p>Likewise, someone at your university may have information about where students who have had your experience have ended up. Ask about that too.</p>
<p>To be perfectly honest, I have never heard of any college/university that looked favorably enough on a student who had been expelled from another so as to offer a good financial aid package. You face tough financial times ahead. It is most likely that your only academic option is to enroll at your home-town community college, or another open-admission institution. Whether or not this dismissal will affect your access to federal aid such as loans, I don’t know. Ask kelsmom who posts in the Financial Aid Forum. She is a financial aid officer.</p>
<p>Clearly you have had a very bad year. Go home. Get a holiday job as a cashier at some retail outfit while you think everything through. Pay a visit to the community college(s) near there and find out what your options might be. Give yourself the blessing of a Gap Year or Gap Semester before you start your academic life up again. Things will get better. But you need to give it time.</p>
<p>If you are truly innocent, get the very best lawyer you can afford, someone specializing in suing universities and colleges. If your appeal is denied, you can always sue in state or federal court and call witnesses. It may not get you re-admitted, but if you have a libel or slander case, you could get damages. University appeals are notoriously unfair. Contrary to popular belief, universities are not immue from state and federal laws. Sure they can have their own disciplinary procedures, but they cannot deny you due process of law.</p>
<p>Get a lawyer today. If you have a good case, he’ll take it on contingency so you don’t have to spend money. The final decision is not whatever the university (or insurance company or whatever not so neutral party) decides. It’s whatever a jury decides with respect to civil damages. And I see plenty of damages if you’re really innocent. And you only have to prove with preponderance of the evidence. For example, there are lawyers that specialize in honor code violations. Good luck.</p>