Do you anyone with an acceptance that had an honors violation?

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brodaiga

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Anybody that had to answer to the institutional action question, post your stories here...

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brodaiga said:
Anybody that had to answer to the institutional action question, post your stories here...
No, but my friend's sister had one and did not get accepted to any LAW schools even though she had pretty decent grades and test scores.
 
I know of someone who was found responsible for academic dishonesty
(plagiarism) during freshmen year. This student consequently had to take a
vacation from the university for 2 sems during which time the student went
abroad and did some great social work and for the remainder of their time
at school, they did very well academically and essentially proved to grow
from their mistake. The student is currently about to attend GWU for med
school.

** sorry for the poor phrasing, didn't want to reveal gender b/c of
confidentiality...although I don't think it makes a diff

I think having an honor violation significantly diminishes one's chances
for a medical school acceptence. I've never heard of, and I don't think
its concievable that someone with an honor violation has ever been
admitted to a tier 1 or even tier 2 school. But then again I might be
wrong.

This isn't to say, however, that all hope is lost. People can overcome
this mark on their record by showing resilience and doing something
meaningful with their time off. There are a few students who make it past
this hurdle with a genuine meaningful experience that can do wonders for a
med school app =)
 
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Does anyone know if a violation of the school's alcohol policy has to be reported?

I was subject to a pretty nasty hazing ritual (as in physically forced to consume a large quantity of alcohol) and ended up in the hospital, thus obviously violating the school's alcohol policy.

I doubt this will harm my application given the circumstanes, but I'd rather not report it if it is unnecessary. I think it has been expunged from my record, but I don't know if I fully trust this claim.
 
I reported mine and it really didnt hurt me. Well it did cause a hell of a lot of stress. But it was only brought up in one interview and the interviewer actually laughed at me for reporting it (he wasnt being a jerk either, just couldnt believe I reported it). Looking back on the process, I believe the only school that checks is Indiana. It probably wont hurt you if you report it, but if it was expunged from your record there is no way the school could find out unless you told them.
 
I had one student back in the day who turned in a 100% forged lab report (he or she left the old girl or guys name on one of the pages, so that's how I or we found out) which was worth 20% of the overall grade (It's like 25 pages). She was set to go to an east coast medical school until she was told that she wouldn't be graduating. She turned in the lab report on Friday, we e-mailed her friday night, graduation was on sunday, and she checked her e-mail Monday morning. Needless to say, she was crying in the office of the dean for quite some time.
 
freaker said:
Does anyone know if a violation of the school's alcohol policy has to be reported?

I was subject to a pretty nasty hazing ritual (as in physically forced to consume a large quantity of alcohol) and ended up in the hospital, thus obviously violating the school's alcohol policy.

I doubt this will harm my application given the circumstanes, but I'd rather not report it if it is unnecessary. I think it has been expunged from my record, but I don't know if I fully trust this claim.
Talk to your pre-health advisor or academic dean to find out about this. If it will be reported by your undergrad and you don't list it on your AMCAS, forget about going to medical school. Better safe than sorry; just ask someone at your school. No one on SDN will know better than an administrator at your school.
 
Jalby said:
I had one student back in the day who turned in a 100% forged lab report (he or she left the old girl or guys name on one of the pages, so that's how I or we found out) which was worth 20% of the overall grade (It's like 25 pages). She was set to go to an east coast medical school until she was told that she wouldn't be graduating. She turned in the lab report on Friday, we e-mailed her friday night, graduation was on sunday, and she checked her e-mail Monday morning. Needless to say, she was crying in the office of the dean for quite some time.

One word: OUCH! Why do people take that chance?
 
my roomate had a violation of plagiarism during his freshman year, and personally i think it hurt his chances. he did eventually get in but i would advise anyone with something like that .....if it doesnt show up on ur transcript dont write it down. a lot of times people get a probation and then get off. so i wouldnt write it down unless its on ur official transcript. it wasnt on his and he still wrote it and once u write it once u have to always write it. also, very little things distinguish gettin in or not and u dont want that to be the reason u dont get it. it cant help u to put it down unless like i say it shows up somewhere then u should write it.
 
freaker said:
Does anyone know if a violation of the school's alcohol policy has to be reported?

I was subject to a pretty nasty hazing ritual (as in physically forced to consume a large quantity of alcohol) and ended up in the hospital, thus obviously violating the school's alcohol policy.

I doubt this will harm my application given the circumstanes, but I'd rather not report it if it is unnecessary. I think it has been expunged from my record, but I don't know if I fully trust this claim.

This depends expressly on whether or not you were subject to any university sanctions. From your post, it sounds like you got stuck with an ER bill and a really bad hangover. If you ever got a letter from the dean or someone else of equal importance in regard to the incident, then you should report it.

If you never heard from the school then it's a non issue and you can join the thousands of other premeds who broke the rules and didn't get caught.

So in summary, if you were subject to instituational sanction/reprimand, the report it. If nothing came of the incident, then don't report it.

P.S. If you got in trouble with ONLY your frat, then you don't need to report that either.
 
There was a news story a while back about some girl in the Rice-Baylor program who plagiarised her very last college paper. She still got an acceptance though, to the Carribbean.
 
Jalby said:
I had one student back in the day... She turned in the lab report on Friday, we e-mailed her friday night, ...

Weird, I never thought of back in the day as being a time that had e-mail.
 
This is an area of expertise for me. I was placed on University probation for alcohol-related violations 3 times (yes, three), while an undergraduate, including one in my senior year.
I responded to these incidents in a very serious manner, and made it clear on my applications that I was taking all necessary steps to overcome this hurdle and assume a more responsible life.
Long story short, I still got screwed--I was offered 3 interviews (out of 13 schools), and each interview wwas centered around the drinking thing. They were all good schools (Columbia, Hopkins, UVa), but I got pre-interview rejected from some slam-dunkk schools. I got in and am veeerrrrryyyy grateful, but not without a whole lot more stress than this process would have been otherwise.
Logistically you must report any official action taken by your school (even if it was expunged from yur record, I believe). Be open, honest, and willing to talk. ANd show your willingness to accept blame--this will demonstrate a maturity level that sweeping it under the rug does not. Good luck.
 
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rsl5181 said:
i was suspended for two semesters for academic dishonesty and an alcohol violation my freshman year. i got into school first time applying. be honest.

rsl-
I just pm'ed you
Thanks
 
arghghghggh my post just got deleted by accident.......

ok so I knew a guy at U of Toronto who got into med school there and he had a violation on his transcript... him and his friend had this 'system' and they got caught cheating on an exam.

Anyhow..... bottom line he applied twice and got in on his second try. so it is possible but a definite strike against you!
 
It's definitely a strike against you but I would never advise someone to be dishonest about their past. I resigned before being kicked out of the U.S. Air Force Academy for cheating. I was honest on my applications, spent a good part of my personal statement explaining myself and giving an update on what I had learned in the years since it happened in 1996. It probably helped that my track record in school was stellar after the Academy and that I was a member of the honor council at the school where I got my master's.

However, I did have to explain myself on every single interview I had (I had interviews at 4 out of the 10 schools to which I applied), and so far I have been accepted to 2 schools and wait listed at 2. The two that wait-listed me would have probably been automatic acceptances if I hadn't had the honor infraction. It's been frustrating and I've certainly had to work to get where I am today, but I wholly advocate being honest. You will thank yourself later.
 
A friend of my girlfriend's recently is going to GWU med school this fall after having disciplinary action. She got drunk one night soph. year and one of her friends dared her to email a prof. The email was riddled with epithets and vulgar language. The next day, the girl realized what she did and quickly sent an apology. The prof (being anal) brought this email up with the Academic Dishonestry/Integrity Cmte. and followed through with the proceedings. She got a notation on her transcript and was forced to apologize to the professor in writing. In addition, she was put on probation from school computer usage for 3 months (except for schoolwork, etc.). Yeah. It was funny when my g/f told me. Really funny.

Jason
 
I was required to withdraw after making 4 Fs one semester at the absolute lowest point of my drinking career. I wasn't really even attending school, but did manage to show up for the finals. I did go back and make a strong finish after my required year off.

I mention the academic difficulty "due to poor lifestyle choices" in the current draft of my PS, but intend to further explore the alcoholism in the explanation of institutional action, where I think it belongs. That was 13 years ago and a different person, and I need to focus on a snapshot of me now, not a review of all the negative things that have happened in my life.

So I think it all depends on how long ago and how serious as to how to handle it. We'll see how my plan works in a few months.
 
The rule of thumb is: if its not on your transcript, AMCAS has no way of knowing. After that, you should be honest if it is with a school that asks. Not all schools ask. Sometimes it has to be a "conviction." Either way, I agree with the interviewers that laugh. There is no need to tell, unless you know they will find out. I had something expunged...and since they were wrong to begin with, I don't see why I have to tell AMCAS. Its a tough call, but I always can believe you can defend it better in a secondary or something.
 
if you dont see it, its not there. I talked to the dean about this, he actually told me not to tell med schools about it. Except the state school, because they have all of the records. It all just depends.
 
Yo, i'm using the community service i got from getting caught with alcohol as one of the better ECs i have. anythign wrong with that?
 
blz said:
Yo, i'm using the community service i got from getting caught with alcohol as one of the better ECs i have. anythign wrong with that?

That is awesome, way to work with what life gives you. 👍 👍
 
adamj61 said:
That is awesome, way to work with what life gives you. 👍 👍


lol, in actuality i don't drink. i'm muslim so if i take a drink, i'll prolly get beheaded by allah.
 
blz said:
lol, in actuality i don't drink. i'm muslim so if i take a drink, i'll prolly get beheaded by allah.

In which case, according to my recent CPR class, I'm not required to administer life support. That would most definitely suck, and although you haven't asked, my advice is: don't drink.
 
liverotcod said:
In which case, according to my recent CPR class, I'm not required to administer life support. That would most definitely suck, and although you haven't asked, my advice is: don't drink.

Also, if Allah cut you in half at the waist, or burned you to a crisp, or you were rotting, I could beg off CPR in those cases too.
 
I knew someone who had an honors infraction for something stupid he once did (trying to sell his english papers). Basically, they honor counciled him and put it on his record for 1 year. So after graduating, he spent a year travelling and then applied without mentioning it. If the school expunges it from your record - it's gone. What's the point of expunging records if you still have to mention it everywhere. Personally, I think with potentially serious things like this, it's better to have proof. If you DONT have a proof that you had an honors infraction, you really shouldn't put it on your application. (ask registrar to check your official records for that to make sure). Some schools send you an official letter that states that your record is clear (if you ask). If you have that letter, there is no way anyone can rescind your acceptance.
 
koma said:
Personally, I think with potentially serious things like this, it's better to have proof. If you DONT have a proof that you had an honors infraction, you really shouldn't put it on your application. (ask registrar to check your official records for that to make sure). Some schools send you an official letter that states that your record is clear (if you ask). If you have that letter, there is no way anyone can rescind your acceptance.


But what happens if you don't disclose that information to the school and the school finds out thru the newspaper, a police record, a disgruntled ex (whatever)...don't they have the right to kick you out? I don't think that a letter will protect you. after all technically the school admitted you under certain pretenses. By not disclosing certain information you basically lied to them.
 
Where would you mention this besides the PS?
 
But what happens if you don't disclose that information to the school and the school finds out thru the newspaper, a police record, a disgruntled ex (whatever)...don't they have the right to kick you out?

Not if you have a letter from the school that sentenced you saying that your record is clean. A med school would have to claim that its interpretation of an institutional action took precedence to the interpretation of the school that would have issued the infraction in the first place.

I'm kind of biting my nails wondering if that alcohol infraction from my freshman year is going to show up on my records. I was told it was going to be expunged, and if it's not on my records and I have a letter saying I'm clean, I'm not revealing it. Freakin' team captain put me in a headlock and forced the stuff down my throat after I refused it, anyway. Whatday gonna do?

And yes, I did drink before some before that, so I guess I violated the school's alcohol policy on my own.
 
freaker said:
Not if you have a letter from the school that sentenced you saying that your record is clean. A med school would have to claim that its interpretation of an institutional action took precedence to the interpretation of the school that would have issued the infraction in the first place.

I'm kind of biting my nails wondering if that alcohol infraction from my freshman year is going to show up on my records. I was told it was going to be expunged, and if it's not on my records and I have a letter saying I'm clean, I'm not revealing it. Freakin' team captain put me in a headlock and forced the stuff down my throat after I refused it, anyway. Whatday gonna do?

i don't think you need any letter. it seems to me if your transcript is clean, then that's that. comments can be inserted in a transcript, and if they aren't there than it would seem that you're cool. i don't even know what information a school can request other than your official transcript. i doubt your UG could send some type of secret file.
 
rockit said:
Where would you mention this besides the PS?

In the certification section, for which the instruction is:
AMCAS help said:
Institutional Action
Medical schools require you to answer this 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 the Medical schools to more effectively evaluate this information within the context of your credentials.

You must answer YES to this question if you were ever the recipient of any institutional action resulting from unacceptable academic performance or a conduct violation, even if such action did not interrupt your enrollment or require you to withdraw. You must answer YES even if the action does not appear on or has been deleted from your official transcripts due to institutional policy or personal petition. Applicants who become the subject of an institutional action after certifying and submitting the AMCAS application must inform their designated medical schools that an action has occurred.

If you are not certain whether or not you have been the subject of an institutional action, contact the registrar, student affairs officer, or other appropriate party at the institution for confirmation of your record. Applicants who become the subject of an institutional action after certifying and submitting the AMCAS application must inform their designated medical schools that an action has occurred.

If you answer YES, you may use the provided space beneath the question to explain; this space is 1325 characters or approximately ? of a page in length. You will receive an error message if you exceed the allotted space.

Failure to provide accurate information in answering this question or, if applicable, in completing the form provided by the school, will result in an investigation.

I think the instructions are pretty clear. Expunged institutional actions still need to be reported. The only question is what constitutes an institutional action.
 
i don't think you need any letter. it seems to me if your transcript is clean, then that's that. comments can be inserted in a transcript, and if they aren't there than it would seem that you're cool. i don't even know what information a school can request other than your official transcript. i doubt your UG could send some type of secret file.

The only thing I'm potentially worried about is that I'll be applying to my alma mater's med school (it's actually a pretty top choice), and I would guess they would have access to my filees.

If questions arose, again, I think my school indicating that I had a clean records would indicate that no institutional action was taken against me. I am saving the e-mail I sent to my dean that specifically questioned the university's interpretation of an institutional action, as well (which I agree with liverotcod is a primary concern).

Cover your bases, and if you find that you still should report, go ahead and do it. I certainly will, anyway.
 
I would just like everyone to know that I am the dumbest freakin' ***** alive and I talked about institutional action that I received during a college summer program in high school. Wow, am I an idiot. I hope this makes everyone else feel better about freaking out over stupid ****. That is all.
 
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