Who'll be able to read my college application after I get in, and how?

Applying to College
1

<p>I did something in HS that I'd rather not mention here. I did mention it in my college application though, specifically my resume, and I was very surprised when I got into a very prestigious university. All my ambitions came back too, but because of my perhaps overly-honest college application, I'm now pretty worried.</p>

<p>I'd like to do so many things - run for president of student government in college, or be an elected officer in my EC like in HS. Maybe even be a public figure later in life. I'm very grateful for how I can apparently start on a clean slate in college, and I'm going to do great things.</p>

<p>But who would be able to read my college application in college, other than the admissions office and the registrar's office? Would these administrative offices allow others to read my college application without my knowledge or permission? IS my college application kept private and secret, away from prying eyes outside the administration?</p>

<p>If I run for student government or even any elected position in my EC, would I have to declare things on my college application and resume, including my HS record of ECs and elected positions? Would the student publications and college newspapers and press have the desire, or the power and access to probe into my college application and the high school resume attached to that resume? Would they want and be able to get my HS info from my HS itself?</p>

<p>Even if I decide to lay low and not run for student government, if I accomplish something notable, maybe academically or win an award, and get interviewed by the campus newspaper or something... would they try to dig into my past and be able to see my college application? Would the college's administration allow other people to see my college application, or even help to expose me? I want to do big things, but articles like </p>

<p>Yale</a> Sophomore Named Goldman Sachs World Leader
News</a> India-Times.com, Online Edition</p>

<p>with so much detail about the overachievers' high school lives make me worried.</p>

<p>Nobody in college knows what I did wrong and I'm glad to start afresh, but this has been worrying me. Especially since how Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard application, ECs, resume, SAT scores and all, are now an open secret. How were the college applications and resumes and stats of such celebrities and politicians retrieved, by whom, and how? How come everyone knows our Presidents' and politicians' SAT scores? Those leaks don't make me feel any safer about the privacy of my own college application.</p>

<p>Are college applications, even the ones to private colleges, open record? Can people find out what I wrote on my college application and resume and essays etc without my knowledge or permission, and how? It sucks to be so afraid of my own high school shadow. Has my honesty become a liability?</p>

2

<p>Whatever you did may have to be revealed later in future applications, e.g., if you apply to law school you usually have to tell them in the application of all past violations even as a juvenile. However, your college application file is protected by law from being revealed to others (except those authorized university personnel in control of the file) without your permission except for identifying info (name, address, phone and that you are a student there) and except for generic info that does not reveal your identity that is used for studies or college reports (e.g., your grades and test scores will be used in any compilation without your identity along with all others when the school compiles and reports its middle 50% ranges) . Same applies to your high school record. Newspaper or other journalistic types will not be allowed access; however, they have other ways of learning things if they desire, e.g., is what you did part of any court record that can be reviewed by the public? was it reported in any news publication? Do others know who journalists could ask? School papers will likely not be interested in doing any of that.</p>

3

<p>Just a little follow-up. Don’t know what it is you are concerned about but if the college knew because it was in your application materials and it admitted you, then likely it is not as bad as you think. Also, you mentioned publication of such things as Zuckerberg’s college info or that of politicians. In Zuckerberg’s case, it is because he freely provided it. Same for that Yale sophomore article you mention. For politicians, it is often the same thing. For example, someone will ask the candidate what his SAT score was and he will give it and if he doesn’t, it is likely he has toid someone over the years that can be asked what it was. Moreover, for people running for public office particularly any higher level, you can usually place odds on their whole life becoming an open book. It is not because a college turns over the information. It is because there are journalists, or investigators hired by the other side, who go looking for anything they can find on the candidate from the day he was born and have unlimited budgets to do so. Example, run for a high office and some jounalist will ask you if he can see your college file. Say no and the money will be flying to find out what you are hiding and they will go talk to everyone you have ever known (kids you knew in grade and high school, neighbors, relatives, persons you dated, your parents, etc. (name anyone who ever came in contact with you), to get information.</p>