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How do you not know that what you were doing wasn’t wrong? Seems fairly simple: there’s a food service where you can eat whatever you want but can’t take any home. It’s like a buffet iirc.
 
shakenramie said:
More information:

On the University housing website, it states that:
University Reprimand: A University Reprimand indicates that the student’s behavior is inappropriate for a member of this academic community. A University Reprimand is maintained in the student’s disciplinary file for one year and would serve as a basis for further sanctioning should subsequent violations occur. If there are no further violations within that one year period, the file is destroyed. A University Reprimand will not occur on the academic transcript.

Additionally, I want to add that I had a meeting with the "area coordinator" of the residential halls (as opposed to a university hearing officer, residence hall judicial commission, etc).

Clearly this isn't a serious IA but I would obviously rather not have an IA on my application.
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Pretty sure that this will be treated akin to theft when your app is reviewed. A long time ago I remember someone posting a thread with the EXACT same situation and several of the adcom members here said that an IA of this sort will not be taken lightly.
 
ClamShell said:
Pretty sure that this will be treated akin to theft when your app is reviewed. A long time ago I remember someone posting a thread with the EXACT same situation and several of the adcom members here said that an IA of this sort will not be taken lightly.
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It’s the same poster. I remembered that thread and went back and checked OP’s history. He posted the exact same thing in December 2017.

OP why are you asking again? Has anything changed?
 
They said that after one year the file is destroyed. I don't think you need to report it. I suggest reading the 2019 AMCAS Applicant guide to learn more.
 
shakenramie said:
Hm, interesting. I guess it's just questionable to me because I never left the dining hall with it - so how is it theft? Obviously there was potential "intent to steal", but my intention could also have been to sit in the dining hall for hours and eat it later without ever leaving with it.
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Well, you placed the items in your own personal Tupperware. It’s clear you didn’t plan to leave it at the table. This reminds me of when people get arrested for solicitation when the sex worker is an undercover officer. Is it labeled potential solicitation? I dunno.

When you explain this IA on you app, please don’t lead with “I didn’t know I was breaking the rules”. Your excuses didn’t work for your school and likely won’t for medical schools.
 
PreMedStudent55555 said:
They said that after one year the file is destroyed. I don't think you need to report it. I suggest reading the 2019 AMCAS Applicant guide to learn more.
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Why do you think this? When I read the applicant guide it was clear that whether it was on file at the school or not, the student has to report it. Did this change with the new guide?
 
OchemOficionado said:
Well, you placed the items in your own personal Tupperware. It’s clear you didn’t plan to leave it at the table. This reminds me of when people get arrested for solicitation when the sex worker is an undercover officer. Is it labeled potential solicitation? I dunno.

When you explain this IA on you app, please don’t lead with “I didn’t know I was breaking the rules”. Your excuses didn’t work for your school and likely won’t for medical schools.
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I don't know if I'd go so far as to compare sex solicitation with OP taking food out of a cafeteria...
 
shakenramie said:
Hm, interesting. I guess it's just questionable to me because I never left the dining hall with it - so how is it theft? Obviously there was potential "intent to steal", but my intention could also have been to sit in the dining hall for hours and eat it later without ever leaving with it.
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Yeah but you don’t bring tupperware to do that. People who get caught shoplifting at a store technically didn’t steal either, but the intent is clearly there.

I think this is an IA.
 
PreMedStudent55555 said:
I don't know if I'd go so far as to compare sex solicitation with OP taking food out of a cafeteria...
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No. That isn’t what I was doing.

The OP said since he didn’t leave isn’t it potential theft. To that I said, well is it potential solicitation when people get arrested for that but did not actually have relations.
 
Institutional Action

If you were ever the recipient of any institutional action by any college or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violation, you must answer Yes, even if such action did not interrupt your enrollment or require you to withdraw. Furthermore, select Yes even if the action does not appear on, or has been deleted or expunged from, your of cial transcripts as a consequence of institutional policy or personal petition.

Failure to provide an accurate answer to the question about institutional action or, if applicable, failure to complete the form provided by the school will result in an investigation. Medical schools require you to answer the question accurately and provide all relevant information. Medical schools understand that many individuals learn from the past and emerge stronger as a result. Full disclosure will enable medical schools to evaluate the information more effectively within the context of your application.

If you become the subject of an institutional action after certifying and submitting the AMCAS application, you must inform your designated medical school(s) within 10 business days of the date of the occurrence.
-AMCAS Applicant Guide 2019

Apparently OP has to say Yes to being subject to an IA but also has to say Yes to it being expunged, deleted, and etc. So I guess adcoms will see that he/she had an IA but can show that it was removed and probably will receive leniency.
 
PreMedStudent55555 said:
Institutional Action

If you were ever the recipient of any institutional action by any college or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violation, you must answer Yes, even if such action did not interrupt your enrollment or require you to withdraw. Furthermore, select Yes even if the action does not appear on, or has been deleted or expunged from, your of cial transcripts as a consequence of institutional policy or personal petition.

Failure to provide an accurate answer to the question about institutional action or, if applicable, failure to complete the form provided by the school will result in an investigation. Medical schools require you to answer the question accurately and provide all relevant information. Medical schools understand that many individuals learn from the past and emerge stronger as a result. Full disclosure will enable medical schools to evaluate the information more effectively within the context of your application.

If you become the subject of an institutional action after certifying and submitting the AMCAS application, you must inform your designated medical school(s) within 10 business days of the date of the occurrence.
-AMCAS Applicant Guide 2019

Apparently OP has to say Yes to being subject to an IA but also has to say Yes to it being expunged, deleted, and etc. So I guess adcoms will see that he/she had an IA but can show that it was removed and probably will receive leniency.
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You’re all over the place. Are your opinions backed by any evidence? First you say he doesn’t need to report it, then you say he does (backed by evidence) and now you’re saying he may get leniency based solely on the fact that the file was destroyed? For the second time, why do you think this?
 
OchemOficionado said:
You’re all over the place. Are your opinions backed by any evidence? First you say he doesn’t need to report it, then you say he does (backed by evidence) and now you’re saying he may get leniency based solely on the fact that the file was destroyed? For the second time, why do you think this?
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Read my posts.

In my first post I said I "think" that he/she doesn't need to report it and I suggested that OP go to the applicant guide to check. Then, after seeing your posts, I decided to check myself and posted the official quote from the guide. The way the guide phrases it by saying "Medical schools understand that many individuals learn from the past and emerge stronger as a result." makes me assume that they probably will forgive it.

Then again this is all "maybes" and "probably". I'm not certain.
 
PreMedStudent55555 said:
Read my posts.

In my first post I said I "think" that he/she doesn't need to report it and I suggested that OP go to the applicant guide to check. Then, after seeing your posts, I decided to check myself and posted the official quote from the guide. The way the guide phrases it by saying "Medical schools understand that many individuals learn from the past and emerge stronger as a result." makes me assume that they probably will forgive it.

Then again this is all "maybes" and "probably". I'm not certain.
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Yes, Ive been reading your posts. After the first one I asked why you thought that he didn’t need to report it. I was trying to figure it if you read/heard that from somewhere or just thought it up when you read his post. (As I’ve always read/heard otherwise)

Your AAMC quote was correct, but then again I was asking where you got the info that he may be given leniency based on the fact that the school may not report it. The second AAMC quote about schools know that students grow is nice, but it seemed like you were saying simply because the file was destroyed OP will be ok.
 
shakenramie said:
It seems like the general consensus now is that it is IA and must be reported.

Is it possible to contact my university conduct office and ask if it is an IA? And if they say no, do I still have to report it? (i.e. who determines if it is considered an IA, my university or the schools I am applying to?)
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There’s no need to ask: it is obviously an IA. You literally have “University Reprimand” written in your OP. By definition, that is a disciplinary action taken by the institution.
 
OchemOficionado said:
Yes, Ive been reading your posts. After the first one I asked why you thought that he didn’t need to report it. I was trying to figure it if you read/heard that from somewhere or just thought it up when you read his post. (As I’ve always read/heard otherwise)

Your AAMC quote was correct, but then again I was asking where you got the info that he may be given leniency based on the fact that the school may not report it. The second AAMC quote about schools know that students grow is nice, but it seemed like you were saying simply because the file was destroyed OP will be ok.
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Yeah I wasn't trying to simply say OP would be ok but that schools will hopefully understand that he's grown past it. Mb for missing your first post. I based that thought on some random posts I've seen on SDN about juvenile records a long time ago. I can't remember when it was psoted
 
PreMedStudent55555 said:
Yeah I wasn't trying to simply say OP would be ok but that schools will hopefully understand that he's grown past it. Mb for missing your first post. I based that thought on some random posts I've seen on SDN about juvenile records a long time ago. I can't remember when it was psoted
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Ah, gotcha gotcha. Thanks.
 
I kinda skipped through this thread, but holy crap am I glad I never lived on a college campus. A 500 word essay and an official "theft" violation for putting extra food in a tupperware? What happened to a simple "hey buddy you can't do that." Sorry about your IA O.P. but some of these campus infractions I've heard about are so far out of the realm of real life that they're almost comical.

Sent from my SM-G955U using SDN mobile
 
highway31 said:
I kinda skipped through this thread, but holy crap am I glad I never lived on a college campus. A 500 word essay and an official "theft" violation for putting extra food in a tupperware? What happened to a simple "hey buddy you can't do that." Sorry about your IA O.P. but some of these campus infractions I've heard about are so far out of the realm of real life that they're almost comical.

Sent from my SM-G955U using SDN mobile
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I’ve done my fair share of traveling around the world and trust me, this is a VERY American thing. We as Americans make a huge deal about every single thing. I think it’s cause so many of us have so much time on our hands.

It’s very simple in other countries. I saw two people on motorcycles in a rural town get into an accident with each other (not going to name the country). They literally just had a couple scratches on the bikes and on their bodies, just talked about it for 45 seconds, got back on their bikes, and went their own way.

If that happened here, you’d get lane closures, police investigates, insurance drama, etc.....

This is why so many people I personally know that came to settle in America ended up going back. It’s stressful.
 
Hold up, they don't let you bring food outside of the dining hall even though you already paid for it by buying a dining plan (that is probably really expensive)...? That really sucks OP... I don't see how this is theft
 
This is an IA. You must report it. Be very descriptive in describing the amount and type of food you were taking and the cost of your food plan. Don't just give the official write up which could be almost everything, even stealing someone's unattended property from the library. Hope that some adcoms don't see this as a big deal and that they cut you some slack.
 
drtribbiani said:
Hold up, they don't let you bring food outside of the dining hall even though you already paid for it by buying a dining plan (that is probably really expensive)...? That really sucks OP... I don't see how this is theft
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A lot of schools have different options of how many times you can access the dining hall. You can get an all access pass or a limited pass. So they don’t want people taking home.
 
drtribbiani said:
Hold up, they don't let you bring food outside of the dining hall even though you already paid for it by buying a dining plan (that is probably really expensive)...? That really sucks OP... I don't see how this is theft
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Yeah, it seems unreasonable and extreme and frankly... dumb, but, this is something you usually agree to when you get your meal plan.
 
shakenramie said:
Would this explanation on my application be good enough? I'm not sure how much I should elaborate.

In Dec 2017, I was seen putting smoked salmon from my plate into a 6x5” Tupperware in my University dining hall. It is a buffet-style dining hall with the meals paid for in full at the beginning of the semester. At the time, I did not understand that students were not allowed to take food out of the dining hall. I was thus issued a University Reprimand, which is: "an official communication that a student's behavior is inappropriate for a member of the university community. A University Reprimand is maintained in the office for one year and would serve as a basis for further sanctioning should subsequent violations occur. If there are no further violations within that one year period, the file is destroyed." Since I had no further violations within one year of this reprimand, this record was destroyed. I was also instructed to write a 500 word reflective essay on the incident.​
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That seems like a reasonable and accurate explanation based on the other information you've provided.
 
Agreed you need to report and agreed it is an IA. The explanation is fine, the story is somewhat funny frankly and I think most if not all reviewers would let it pass. The one thing that can definitely sink you is the fact that you seem to be persistently defending or excusing yourself. Your school was a bit silly to be so stingy, but the reality is you freely admit your intent on taking it and in the strictest definition of a very lame school it was theft/intent to do so regardless if you were still sitting. Totally agree that this was a stupid IA, but displaying anything but honesty and humility in regard to any disciplinary action is going to set people against you on the trail. Life happens, mistakes are made by all of us, what you do about it is what matters later.
 
Smoked salmon? Fancy mofo.
 
This is a non issue. You paid for your dining plan. The food was already paid for and prepared. If you just took the food and went straight to dump it in the trash no one would care.
 
shakenramie said:
Admittedly I have been a bit defensive on here about it. Still beating myself up over it but also trying to get the full details/context out there so I can see if people think it is serious or not. However, you are definitely right. I think enough time will have passed by the time I apply and it will be easier to let it go and not be defensive/make excuses if I'm asked to elaborate in interviews.

Should I add more to the explanation about how it was a mistake and that I acknowledge I was wrong to do it? Also, does " At the time, I did not understand that students were not allowed to take food out of the dining hall" sound like I am making excuses?
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Simple and succint is the way to go.
 
Toutie said:
Sounds like UCLA. They serve smoked salmon and leg of lamb too. There's a good reason why UCLA dining is typically ranked #1.
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I'm seriously jealous. My dining isn't really that bad but damn.. I had a really good shot at UCLA when I was applying for college, but I didn't want to write the application essay(s). This is probably my greatest regret.
 
Lmao OP if you are trying to maintain your privacy, it is obvious what school you go to.
 
doctorcocter said:
I'm seriously jealous. My dining isn't really that bad but damn.. I had a really good shot at UCLA when I was applying for college, but I didn't want to write the application essay(s). This is probably my greatest regret.
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Me too. Because it wasn't nearly that good when I went to school there (a million years ago). It was certainly okay back then, but dahammmnn....when I see what they serve now I feel so deprived. 🙁
 
doctorcocter said:
I'm seriously jealous. My dining isn't really that bad but damn.. I had a really good shot at UCLA when I was applying for college, but I didn't want to write the application essay(s). This is probably my greatest regret.
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Check out the menus for today. smh...I will be at UCLA next week to visit with some old friends, I just might talk everyone into going up to the hill just to eat the dorm food for lunch!
Menus
 
It's hard not to be defensive about such things, but honesty and humility is key. This should be a nothingburger. I had a terrible IA that I owned up to fully and had a very successful cycle so far. In your description I would probably swap out "was seen" (passive, removes your agency) with "foolishly" (highlights the silliness better).
 
shakenramie said:
Would this explanation on my application be good enough? I'm not sure how much I should elaborate.

In Dec 2017, I was seen putting smoked salmon from my plate into a 6x5” Tupperware in my University dining hall. It is a buffet-style dining hall with the meals paid for in full at the beginning of the semester. At the time, I did not understand that students were not allowed to take food out of the dining hall. I was thus issued a University Reprimand, which is: "an official communication that a student's behavior is inappropriate for a member of the university community. A University Reprimand is maintained in the office for one year and would serve as a basis for further sanctioning should subsequent violations occur. If there are no further violations within that one year period, the file is destroyed." Since I had no further violations within one year of this reprimand, this record was destroyed. I was also instructed to write a 500 word reflective essay on the incident.​
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mmmcdowe said:
Simple and succint is the way to go.
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More simple. More succinct.

Was also going to suggest removing "was seen" -- The problem is not really that you were seen; the problem is that you [foolishly] did it. I'd omit 'smoked salmon' as it's essentially the 'luxury goods' of your dining plan. The boilerplate about an official reprimand is just that - boilerplate. It adds nothing of any value. Leave the essay and 'one year in file' - no further transgressions bit.
 
shakenramie said:
In Dec 2017, I foolishly put food(?) from my plate into a 6x5” Tupperware in my University dining hall. It is a buffet-style dining hall with the meals paid for in full at the beginning of the semester. At the time, I did not understand that students were not allowed to take food out of the dining hall. I was thus issued a University Reprimand, which is maintained in the office for one year. If there are no further violations within that one year period, the file is destroyed. Since I had no further violations within one year of this reprimand, this record was destroyed. I was also instructed to write a 500 word reflective essay on the incident.​

I initially put "smoked salmon" to possibly 'explain' why I wanted to put it in the Tupperware in the first place. What should I write instead? "Food" might be a bit too general (?)
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"some salmon" ?
The buffet-style paid-for still sounds 'excusey'
You can include the 500-word essay into the beginning of the reprimand sentence, then shorten the back end to "maintained in the office for one year, then destroyed if there are no further violations"
 
I'd leave out "foolishly". You didn't think it was foolish at the time. You thought you were planning ahead for a time when you'd enjoy eating what you didn't want to eat right then. Leave out the sentence about buffet-style. Most adcoms know how college dining halls work. Substitute "know" for "understand" in the next sentence; did not know suggests that you did not have the information, did not understand suggests that you had the information but did not comprehend it. For the sentence that begins "If" rewrite it to read, "Per school policy, if there were no further violations within the one year period, the file would be destroyed."
 
Eh I'm not an adcom but I actually prefer "know" to "understand." Lack of knowing means you didn't have the information, didn't look up the information, or knew the information and just forgot. Lack of understanding of a simple rule as this implies stupidity. For me personally, ignorance >>>>>>> stupidity.
 
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