Deep Trouble?

kidchicago · 02-03-2008, 04:26 PM

I am a top student (full IB, SAT's in 99%) who applied to top colleges. A couple weeks ago I went on a trip to Europe with my school. The school planned the trip. Unfortunately, on the last night, a group of friends and I thought we should celebrate my buying and drinking alcohol. We were caught and I was suspended for 1 day form school. It will probably show up on my transcript. What is the probability that colleges will revoke acceptances after the learn of this?

oldfort · 02-03-2008, 04:32 PM

Probably not very likely. Some school don't even report it, my daughter's school does not. Talk to your GC. I wouldn't worry about it.

kelsmom · 02-03-2008, 04:40 PM

Talk to your gc. You'll feel much better once you know for sure. I am willing to bet they won't report it. I know someone who did something much worse & the school did not report it. Now that he is transferring colleges, he has to honestly check off the box that says he was suspended in high school (something he didn't have to do back in h.s., since the apps were already in when it happened). He wrote a paragraph explaining what happened & how he has learned from that experience. Even if you do find out it's reported, I doubt it will be an acceptance-killer. But before you worry about what might not be an issue ... ask your gc.

ellemenope · 02-03-2008, 06:09 PM

Suspensions don't show up on transcripts, but there is often a question on mid-year reports filled out by the counselor about any changes or disciplinary matters. It might show up there.

Since it's not a matter of honesty (like plagarism), I doubt that it will make a difference. You wouldn't get your acceptance revoked. Your counselor would probably get a call first.

But for heaven's sake, no more bonehead moves...

oldfort · 02-03-2008, 07:37 PM

OP could be 18 and be perfectly legal to buy drinks in Europe.

Grumpster · 02-03-2008, 07:50 PM

Don't worry about it.

MD_Mom · 02-03-2008, 08:01 PM

I think the legality of kids drinking isn't really the issue. It seems more a question of breaking school rules. You might be interested in reading about what adcoms think of disciplinary issues.
http://www.collegeconfidential.com/experts/index.htm
I doubt it's as big a deal as academic dishonesty but I think if you're asked directly about suspensions, etc you ought to fess up, show remorse and let them know you learned something from the experience. I agree with the suggestion to talk to your GC.

Narcissa · 02-03-2008, 08:16 PM

lol wasn't that stupid? -_- but i think you'll be okay

kelsmom · 02-03-2008, 08:42 PM

If the school rule is no alcohol, it doesn't matter what the other country's rules are. A school district in my area had a big issue with that a couple years ago. Some students drank on a European trip, which was against the rules. The faculty chaperone knew about it & sort of gave it a nod & a wink. Some of the parent chaperones took issue with that & complained to the school administration. In the end, the teacher resigned. I am sure none of the kids involved ever expected their behavior to have such drastic consequences.

Kidchicago, what you did was dumb, but kids do make mistakes. Hopefully, you'll make wiser choices in the future. If so, then you learned a lesson the hard way.

oldfort · 02-03-2008, 08:56 PM

Teacher resigned over that? sheesh... There were parents chaperones, what did they do about it? Teachers are not paid enough to deal with that. I would have resigned too.

kelsmom · 02-03-2008, 09:12 PM

Oh, there was SO much more to it. It was one of those things that take on a life of its own. Because this was a very popular young teacher (no tenure) whose dad is a very popular teacher in the same district, the word got out that this had happened. Everyone in town seemed to have a position one way or the other, and they all vehemently expressed it. It inspired student protests & got a lot of local press. I have no idea what REALLY happened, because there were just so many different reports. It just all seemed so overblown, to be honest. The teacher decided to quit teaching altogether.

MomofWildChild · 02-03-2008, 10:53 PM

Your applications are in, so hopefully you won't have to disclose the suspension. Talk to your GC. I can almost promise you it will not impact your admissions. Colleges expect high schoolers to experiment with alcohol and I was told by several admissions officers at highly-selective schools that alcohol violations don't even raise eyebrows. It's a little different if you are selling to junior high kids or something, but drinking on a European trip isn't going to matter at all.
I know I sound different than some of the other parents on here, but I know a little more about the reality of it, too. (my son's infractions did not involve substances, but the topic came up in his application process). I researched the issue of suspensions/expulsions very thoroughly and could write a book.
Just be honest but don't worry.

thisoldman · 02-03-2008, 11:41 PM

Europe orchestra class trip. Our public HS has a strict rule on this. No exceptions, ZERO tolerance. If I remember, an F grade. It was made very clear, signatures required on acknowledgements by parents and child.

JHS · 02-03-2008, 11:43 PM

A private school here had an incident a couple years ago where 10 kids on a spring school trip to Costa Rica were caught with one joint in the hotel room of one of them. Seven of them, I think, were seniors. Published school rules dictated suspension for the remainder of the semester, but the kids were each only suspended for a few days. However all of the colleges that had accepted the seniors were told about it, and one of them withdrew two RD acceptances and told an ED acceptee that he could not come until the second semester. Luckily, the two RD acceptees (both of whom had planned to attend that college) had other acceptances that were not withdrawn.

teriwtt · 02-03-2008, 11:48 PM

Gotta give you credit for doing it the last night. I'm sure your school has a rule similar to ours that if you break any codes of conduct on a school-sponsored trip, your parents will be held accountable for a ticket home immediately, meaning to change your airline ticket would mean a few extra hundred dollars. But since you did it the last night, they couldn't exactly send you home early, could they?