Academic Integrity Violations

[abbabbaba]

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I recently graduated and want more than anything to go to veterinary school. However, I'm concerned about my chances because I have a major red flag on my application: I received an academic integrity violation early in my senior year in a prerequisite course, as I cheated on an exam. While I was not suspended, expelled, or do not have any record of it on my transcript, I did receive an F in the course and will be reporting it on VMCAS to be fair to other applicants. I wanted to know how this would affect my chances of getting into veterinary school, and if it would be better for me to pursue a master's program before applying to vet school.

Please don't bully me in the comments, as this was the greatest mistake I've ever made and I feel immensely guilty for it. It was a lack of confidence in the material I had studied, and I know that I cannot repeat this behavior in vet school or in practice. I just would like some advice on where to go from here, as I want to be able to prove my integrity, and whether a master's program would help me in doing this. I'd also love more info on which schools take a more holistic approach to better my chances.

 

[JaynaAli]

I don’t particularly see how a masters would really help you in this situation. I think it would probably be more important to write a really good explanation statement taking ownership and showing that you’ve learned and won’t do it again. Taking masters classes might show you CAN take additional classes and not cheat, but the concern is whether or not you WILL again, which seems better handled by an explanation statement. It may be a deal breaker for some schools. Hopefully not all, and you don’t know until you try to apply. But I think your explanation statement will be key.

 

[pp9]

I recently graduated and want more than anything to go to veterinary school. However, I'm concerned about my chances because I have a major red flag on my application: I received an academic integrity violation early in my senior year in a prerequisite course, as I cheated on an exam. While I was not suspended, expelled, or do not have any record of it on my transcript, I did receive an F in the course and will be reporting it on VMCAS to be fair to other applicants. I wanted to know how this would affect my chances of getting into veterinary school, and if it would be better for me to pursue a master's program before applying to vet school.

Please don't bully me in the comments, as this was the greatest mistake I've ever made and I feel immensely guilty for it. It was a lack of confidence in the material I had studied, and I know that I cannot repeat this behavior in vet school or in practice. I just would like some advice on where to go from here, as I want to be able to prove my integrity, and whether a master's program would help me in doing this. I'd also love more info on which schools take a more holistic approach to better my chances.

Agree with jayna, there's no point in getting a master's in this context.

Whether or not this is a dealbreaker, I don't think anyone can say. I wouldn't say there is one school that will treat you more favorably than another though. All schools assess applicants holistically, all have academic cutoffs at some point as well. You may wish to pick your favorite schools and talk to their admissions offices about this. I don't think any would outright tell you not to bother, but they would be the best source of info for how seriously this would weigh you down.

 

[vetmedphysicist]

I recently graduated and want more than anything to go to veterinary school. However, I'm concerned about my chances because I have a major red flag on my application: I received an academic integrity violation early in my senior year in a prerequisite course, as I cheated on an exam. While I was not suspended, expelled, or do not have any record of it on my transcript, I did receive an F in the course and will be reporting it on VMCAS to be fair to other applicants. I wanted to know how this would affect my chances of getting into veterinary school, and if it would be better for me to pursue a master's program before applying to vet school.

Please don't bully me in the comments, as this was the greatest mistake I've ever made and I feel immensely guilty for it. It was a lack of confidence in the material I had studied, and I know that I cannot repeat this behavior in vet school or in practice. I just would like some advice on where to go from here, as I want to be able to prove my integrity, and whether a master's program would help me in doing this. I'd also love more info on which schools take a more holistic approach to better my chances.

Are you able to repeat the course at your school? Admissions will want to see that you remediated and fixed your grade. In the case of retaking classes, a lot of schools will only factor in the higher grade to your gpa, but obviously that depends on the school. If vet school is really what you want to do and you have a strong application otherwise, I would repeat the course where you received an F and make sure you have a good explanation as to why you received that grade. I wouldn't give up but you also need to be realistic about your chances. It's hard to offer more advice without knowing your full situation. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

Here's what the OP is facing from an admissions standpoint.

The OP cheated on an exam in his/her senior year when they should have known better. Hence, it leads to the worry that this isn't the first time they cheated.

The significant hurdle OP is facing is the mindset of:
1) Is this the sort of student we want in our Class?
2) Why admit this person when we have so many applicants who didn't cheat?

Grades are the last issue the OP needs to worry about. An MS will do nothing for the OP. Their vet career may be over, and if not, it's in stasis for a good chunk of time.

 

[fingermonkey]

I know some schools will let you petition to get it removed from your record after a certain amount of time, especially if it’s a first time issue?
I know someone who had the same issue but still got accepted into medical school!