<p>if the school can find out that you plagiarized, I would definitely provide some sort of explanation. Putting it as your main essay could be risky as it was so recent, but if you really emphasize that you felt terrible after you cheated (not after you got caught) and what it taught you, then it may be good. It’s just a fine line that you would have to cross between showing your genuine remorse over your actions and over-dramatizing a situation to make yourself look good.</p>