I got into some trouble at school. Do I need to 'fess up on my application?
In a word, yes. If a college asks whether you've ever been suspended, expelled, or arrested, you should come clean about your misdeeds. Admissions officers want to ferret out the nasty characters who could harm other students or cause legal headaches down the road, so youthful high jinks don't worry them much. Charges of assault, drug dealing, and academic dishonesty, on the other hand, will be closely scrutinized.
The key here is to demonstrate that your brush with authority led to personal growth. Writing a thoughtful explanation of what happened will help, but if the infraction is serious, a special trip to colleges to explain yourself in person may be in order. Soon after one Florida high schooler was expelled when marijuana was found in her car, she arranged a meeting with officials from the New College of Florida in Sarasota to describe what happened. The student had already signed up for drug counseling and taken steps toward earning her GED. Joel Bauman, dean of admissions and financial aid, was impressed: "She confronted the problem head on and had done things to make up for it. That takes courage, integrity, and character." The student was admitted.
Whatever you do, don't lie. "If a student has falsified their answer [to the discipline question], I have no problem pulling the rug out from under them," says Christopher Gruber, director of admission at the University of Richmond in Virginia. The likely leaks? High school counselors required by school rules to report infractions to colleges and teachers who inadvertently mention in a recommendation letter how much Johnny has matured since he burned the gym down junior year.
