<p>Hello. I am a senior and I would like to know how Yale/Harvard… regard criminal record. Nothing like felonies - just misdemeanors.</p>
<p>(bump) hello?</p>
<p>If you’re a senior, you’ve already submitted your applications, right? Then hopefully you disclosed it in your forms. Schools need to know if you have any felonies b/c they have a responsiblity to the staff/students there. Misdemeanors usually don’t affect one much if at all.</p>
<p>I’d imagine that they lower your chances…
Why would a school pick a kid with a criminal record when they can pick a comparable kid withOUT a criminal record?</p>
<p>A close friend of mine was charged and convicted of some computer crimes during his sophomore year of high school. I read his explanation on his applications, which was fairly good, and he was still accepted to MIT. He was a stellar student regardless though.</p>
<p>It actually depends on the state. In the state of NJ if you are convicted of a felony or charged with a misdemeanor as a minor it is sealed at 18. The only way for them to view it is if they get a court order. If you were charged as a minor you don’t need to disclose it.</p>
<p>It could depend on what the misdemeanor is…for example, shoplifting is not a major crime, but a school might consider that it does not want a thief in its dormitories and libraries…; if the misdemeanor is of a violent nature, again, the school might wonder if it really wants that kind of person on campus. On the other hand, if the misdemeanor is for violation of curfew or going through a stop sign, it might not matter to the school so much.</p>