Hey everyone on CC, well I’m in some deep trouble today. Maybe not at risk of expulsion but internal suspension. I barely scraped into prep school and I’m terrified that I might get taken off the enrollment before the start of term. Is this even possible? Should I be worried?
Yes, but probably for something fairly serious. I think you will have to send final transcripts to your new school and they may pass along major disciplinary actions as well. I would speak to your school counselor about it.
IMO, if it’s for a drug or alcohol violation (or anything that could be considered a crime), or for an honor code/plagiarism issue…those are the sorts of things that a school could rescind an offer over. As busymommyof4 states above, a key factor is if the school reports the infraction and how it is reported.
It has happened before, as someone who has been around situations like this before, I would recommend the following steps:
- Try to see if there is anything you can do to avoid the suspension (in some cases, switching schools, while brutal during the year, may be a good option or if your parents can talk to admin about finding other punishments outside of suspension.)
- If there is nothing you can do to get rid of the suspension, then you NEED to ask the school if it will be reported on your final transcript or if Lville (which, if I remember correctly, is where you will be attending) will be notified about the suspension. If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then I HIGHLY suggest you follow the 3rd step, it may be hard to push yourself to do it, but I know someone who was suspended for a week and still did not get his choate acceptance revoked because he followed step 3. Again, this is just my suggestion, but I think many people on CC will agree with me.
- If you know it will eventually be reported to Lville, I suggest you write a letter to admissions as soon as the suspension begins explaining what happened, the circumstances, and how you have learned from the situation. I would also work very hard to express your regret and the steps you will take to ensure that such an event won't occur at BS or in your future. Ultimately, if your school is going to report it, there is NO WAY to hide the suspension. If lville decides to rescind their acceptance (which I think we all pray they don't) then you will know before the end of the school year when they would have receive the final transcript and seen the suspension. That way you have more time to figure out your high school plans. At the same time, writing a letter and being proactive in this situation will bring your chances of having your acceptance rescinded down because you express regret and growth from the experience. In most cases, all schools know that students make mistakes, but if you can prove that the suspension did more to teach you than just staying at home for several days when school is in session, then I believe you should be safe. Of course, the type of suspension does make a huge difference. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions, I really hope
If the suspension is related to drug/alcohol, then Lawrenceville has a sanctuary policy. So I think they will be more understanding.
But if its related to academic dishonesty or other honor code type violations, they have little tolerance. Read the Lawrenceville School handbook for more details.