Will an Honor Code Violation in Freshman Year Affect College Applications?

Hey, I have a question, so I am a freshman right now, but I recently got an Honor Code Violation. I got set up by a person who said we both cheated when he stole the paper from me and copied it and it turned out both of our papers were looking the same, and the teacher says that it’s clear that the other person stole copied me, but the principal said that the other person(who literally copied me) said the truth, so the principal gave me an honor violation too.
I don’t know if it is on my transcript, and I don’t know how to check if it is, can someone please tell me how I can see my transcript?
Also, will I need to report it to the college if I don’t have it on my transcript?
If I do have to report it, should I “Own up to my mistake” even though I got set up, or should I write how I feel about it? What do you guys think?
And lastly, does it affect my college application a lot? Like, do colleges take a look at it very seriously? Even if I got it in just 9th grade?
Will colleges like NC State or (maybe) MIT look at it that much?

Thank you guys for your help

Seeing your transcript depends on your school, every system is different. You can probably look up how to request it on your school’s website or by emailing your counselor. If it’s not on there, then you and your counselor will still have to report it. Colleges will take this very seriously, cheating is taken extraordinarily seriously at colleges and it’ll probably look pretty bad. That being said, if you maintain a clean record and get amazing grades and test scores, it can be overlooked for schools like NC state and GA Tech (if you’re in-state for either), but probably not for MIT since its so competitive.

Okay, thank you very much, one more question, when I do report it, should I own up to my mistake, even if I got set up in this, or should I explain my case?

You are obligated to report it, even if it isn’t on your transcript. However, if it was bound to happen, you’d want it to happen freshman year. Keeping your nose squeaky clean going forward will help your case. A big mea culpa and a “I learned my lesson and have significantly matured in the three years that followed” can go a long way. I wouldn’t use the words, “I was set up” so much as “I was unbelievably naïve”. If you can demonstrate that you learned your lesson, the effects on your application should lessen considerably.

Alright, I will do that then, thank you so much! It really helps me.

I also believe that using the words “I was set up” sounds like your not really fessing up to what happened.

I would just report the facts; which sounds like you are trying to say is that you let someone copy your work. That is naive but much better than you copying someone else’s work.

Yeah, at this point there is nothing else to fight, so I will just say that it was naive and that I will never do that again, thank you for the input

If you did not do it, I’m not sure why you wouldn’t fight it - if the truth really is on your side.

You can check your Google Drive history to show your editing/drafting process.

I would not just let this “slide” as an “oh my fault, I was naive” as this will be a permanent record. Ask your counselor and also ask your teacher to see what you can do as YOU take this very seriously and it is a concern for YOU.

I once wrote a first draft essay regarding drones (a topic of my choosing) and how drone cinematography is also art. My teacher said it was too sophisticated and polished and was concerned I wasn’t using my own thinking. I spoke with her, about my thinking process, and explained that the words on the paper were 100% authentically and originally mine.

@HKimPOSSIBLE

I don’t know how one “steals” a paper that is on Google Docs, unless it was a printout or the creator shared the link (and the content was stolen). So, unless he explains otherwise, we have to assume the OP/creator probably had some hand in this.

It is an easy trap to fall into. OP’s intention may have not been to cheat so much as to help a friend get his creative juices flowing, or get him out of a rut by showing him what the teacher was looking for. Once things are unleashed in cyberspace, however, all bets are off. As OP learned, there can be a fine line between helping and cheating.

Sometimes the best way to learn is to teach, so students shouldn’t be entirely discouraged from helping each other. That is, provided they are careful and know what boundaries not to cross. If a friend is stuck, go over it verbally, talk through ideas. Walk them through a math problem or briefly-talk-in-summary what topics they might write about in paragraphs one and two. But the only person who sees your “written work” should be your teacher.

@Groundwork2022 Oh I meant OP can, if he used Google Docs, prove that he wrote the essay himself by showing the edit history - shows major changes and provides date/time and which additions/edits were made.

But yes, regardless, he did most likely share his paper to this “friend”. If he can prove that, he should probably be able to show he was the one who shared it.

A lesson nonetheless, but seems feasible to prove really if OP shared it.