I recently got expelled as a senior. Or “withdrawn” myself from the school facing discipline for academic dishonesty. Yes I cheated on a test. The situation was that my teacher stepped out of the room briefly during a test to see what the ruckus was next door and I asked one of my friends whether an answer to a test question was right during that brief moment of time. Yes I’ve taken time to reflect on my actions. I was in our nurse’s office for 4 days without any devices or contact to the outside world. Just 4 walls and a notebook so I did a lot of reflection and writing. Yes I understand that that amount of reflecting is not adequate yet but I just wanted to see if I can get some help from my bleak situation that I have put myself into. This is my second academic infraction my first was for cheating as well and you could say I haven’t done better since then and deserved to be kicked out. And yes I agree that my actions must have consequences . But for your info I just turned 17, 3 months ago which is not an excuse for anything but I came to the school as a 13 year old international freshman and I was 16 years old for most of senior year. I started out good the first two years but I made a mistake junior year due to a lot of academic pressure. What I did was premeditated junior year but what I did recently wasn’t which again isn’t an excuse. I got into Ohio State so my question is that what is the chances they’ll rescind my offer. I can finish up my schooling in the states as well by going to a day school and staying at my rommmate’s house. I’m very close with my roommate’s parents and they’re the best people I know in my life aside from my actual parents. They’ve done so much for me and I am ridiculously grateful for how much they care about me. We’ve been roommates for 4 years and actually won best 4 year roommmate haha. Never got to take that photo tho. Anyways I am international and my visa ends in March 20th. I have a highschool consultant that can help me get into another school like good private boarding school which my family has ties to. But what I want to do is finish highschool near my rommate’s house as a day student so I can go to college. Yes my punishment could have been to go back to public school where I live or go to a school there but my parents think what’s done is done and they want the best for my future now. And they’re genuinely the best parents I can have. They are not covering up for my mistakes but they think I can reflect in college as well and yeah maybe I make a mistake there and I get expelled again which I promise I will learn this lesson as it was tough seeing my mom and friends cry at the decision. So yes there is also that piece where am I mature enough and can learn to control my impulses well enough that I can safely go to college. But I know I can. So I am currently working to see if Ohio State will rescind me or not after i notify them of the withdrawal and if they do I’ll repeat a year at a different boarding school next year. What do you think my chabces are of being rescinded and what’s the best way to love on from this.
I respect and appreciate your thoughtfulness and willingness to take responsibility for your actions. Your best course of action is to do the same with OSU, and perhaps to ask an instructor or administrator from the school to attest to your humility and the context of your decisions. Having said that, the consequences may well extend to OSU rescinding admission. Does your visa situation require you to be at OSU for you to continue your education in the US? If not, your options are pretty straightforward. Apply to some colleges with March 1st deadlines, go to community college or take a 13th year at another private school. People do get second chances, especially when they made mistakes as young people, but you are going to have to make a change in your thinking, and accept academic imperfection in yourself, and you will have to demonstrate that. I wish I could tell you that everyone respects honor more than achievement, but a Quick Look at the world tells you that’s not true. Cheaters who get away with it tend to rise a lot more quickly than folks who honorably earn B’s in life. But there’s satisfaction in honesty.
I encouraged OP via PM to seek assistance from a professional who deals with these issues everyday. There’s a lot of nuance as to how to handle the situation ethically, while still preserving options.
This isn’t a “I had beer in my room so it was an honor code violation plus I’m under 21” situation. I don’t think there’s any path forward besides being honest about what happened…
This isn’t even “the professor said I used AI for my paper but I didn’t” type of academic dishonesty. Come clean. What advice could a professional give besides that?
Oh I think we know what advice a professional could give besides your great advice. It’s part of how money buys more success despite ethical lapses, unfortunately.
The OP’s original post says he/she was expelled for academic dishonesty. If you have inside information on how “academic dishonesty” is something else entirely, please share with the group.
Your response was addressed to me. A situation involving dishonesty can, and should, be shared in an honest fashion. Best for the student to seek guidance from experienced counsel before detailing the incident to other schools.
At the university I work at, this situation would eventually be ‘caught’ in the summer if the student never said anything. The university asks for a final transcript with final grades and when that transcript didn’t match with what the student put on their application for final semester courses in progress and school of graduation/degree earned from that school in progress, the admissions office would contact the student for explanation and may contact the high school for explanation as well. A student in this situation must/should disclose to the university what happened and await their decision. Nevertheless, there are many paths forward that shouldn’t derail an entire academic career.