Hello all, just registered to join for the forums since I read them often and pick up tons of helpful advice or reassurance when I need it lol.
I had a question regarding applications and was wondering if anyone could comment if they had any similar experiences. Anyways, I'm a newly-turned senior, just completed my 3rd year of college and am preparing to take the MCAT and submit applications this June-July. I have a 3.81 GPA and have lots of leadership positions and success with several extracurriculars (sport teams, shadowing, volunteering, research, etc...). A couple of weeks ago, I was running late for a 7:25 am Microbio class at my school since I missed the bus that would get me there by the start of class. We had a quiz that day, so I ended up borrowing my friend's parking decal to park in a lot that is supposed to be for on-campus students only. At my school, parking is ridiculous and all off-campus students have to take the bus as the only viable option. Anyways, I was unlucky in that a parking officer happened to scan decals that day (never ever happens) and scanned mine and saw it didn't belong to me, so my car was towed, I was ticketed 150 dollars +50 dollar towing fee, and had to explain myself to the university police department as to why I had the decal. After the idiotic cop was threatening to arrest me (ridiculous), he told me he wasn't going to press criminal charges, but he referred me to student judicial affairs.
I've never had a speeding ticket in my life, let alone any other incident that questions my integrity, but I went to judicial affairs and got the minimum penalty they can impose....a written reprimand stating I violated the code of conduct in using "unauthorized posession of private or public property or theft." I was upset that "theft" was used in the description, but supposedly it's the only part of the conduct code that my "violation" can be placed under. The judicial officer stated that there would be a note on a judicial file that I had disciplinary action against me and also said that some professional schools would check that in doing a thorough background evaluation. Meanwhile, I ended up getting a 4.0 in my hardest semester with this hanging over my head unresolved in the midst of finals.
Aside from this one blemish, I feel that I have many good aspects of an application together. I'm just worried that some schools will automatically count me out regardless of the insignificance and relative harmlessness of what I did. Many other parts of my application are based on great character and leadership and my resume and letters of rec can attest to that. Can that overcome this blemish or will I have a chance to explain it on the application?
Thanks so much! 🙂
I had a question regarding applications and was wondering if anyone could comment if they had any similar experiences. Anyways, I'm a newly-turned senior, just completed my 3rd year of college and am preparing to take the MCAT and submit applications this June-July. I have a 3.81 GPA and have lots of leadership positions and success with several extracurriculars (sport teams, shadowing, volunteering, research, etc...). A couple of weeks ago, I was running late for a 7:25 am Microbio class at my school since I missed the bus that would get me there by the start of class. We had a quiz that day, so I ended up borrowing my friend's parking decal to park in a lot that is supposed to be for on-campus students only. At my school, parking is ridiculous and all off-campus students have to take the bus as the only viable option. Anyways, I was unlucky in that a parking officer happened to scan decals that day (never ever happens) and scanned mine and saw it didn't belong to me, so my car was towed, I was ticketed 150 dollars +50 dollar towing fee, and had to explain myself to the university police department as to why I had the decal. After the idiotic cop was threatening to arrest me (ridiculous), he told me he wasn't going to press criminal charges, but he referred me to student judicial affairs.
I've never had a speeding ticket in my life, let alone any other incident that questions my integrity, but I went to judicial affairs and got the minimum penalty they can impose....a written reprimand stating I violated the code of conduct in using "unauthorized posession of private or public property or theft." I was upset that "theft" was used in the description, but supposedly it's the only part of the conduct code that my "violation" can be placed under. The judicial officer stated that there would be a note on a judicial file that I had disciplinary action against me and also said that some professional schools would check that in doing a thorough background evaluation. Meanwhile, I ended up getting a 4.0 in my hardest semester with this hanging over my head unresolved in the midst of finals.
Aside from this one blemish, I feel that I have many good aspects of an application together. I'm just worried that some schools will automatically count me out regardless of the insignificance and relative harmlessness of what I did. Many other parts of my application are based on great character and leadership and my resume and letters of rec can attest to that. Can that overcome this blemish or will I have a chance to explain it on the application?
Thanks so much! 🙂
