Probation and Harvard

Colleges & Universities Harvard University
1

<p>I’ve found this forum because I have one very important question to ask. </p>

<p>Right now I am a senior. I’m this year and last year I have remained within the top 10% of my class at a school that sends over 20% of students to Ivy League institutions. My SAT scores are above 2300, my extracurricular activities are (at least in many peoples opinion) very good, and include starting my own business/charity that deals with environmental consulting. I’ve also founded, captain and run my school’s quiz bowl team, which has qualified for nationals. I’ve also one two state debate tournaments, and spent numerous hours doing community service in an area I feel extremely passionate about, the environment. I’m also involved in my school’s Democrats club, ARC, and Oxfam. In addition, my dad is an alumnus at Harvard and a donor.</p>

<p>I have one problem however, last year I was put on probation for a short while. The reason for this happened was because of plagiarism. It was not intentional on my part, but it happened. At the time I was under extreme emotional stress after dealing with several members of my family who suffer from extreme depression and even suicidal thoughts. In addition, I was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed my home. I know that this does not excuse my actions, and that what I did was wrong. At the time it was early in the morning and I was tired. I didn’t copy and paste any information, what happened was that I was using a friend’s paper to model my arguments (we had the same analysis, which we had worked out together, and the teacher has already told us the conclusion). I, unfortunately, wrote down several sentences from his paper into mine. I didn’t do it intentionally (it’s a ■■■■■■■■ kind of plagiarism), but it happened. I just didn’t realize what I did. I had read his paper, and the words and sentences were in my mind, I just didn’t realize that they were also his. I am truely sorry for it. I have worked diligently ever since this event. The teacher who found the plagiarism has actually agreed to write one of my letters of recommendation because he felt, that despite this mistake, I was still one of the top students in my very competitive class. In addition, one of my essays dealt with the issue and what I learned from my mistake.</p>

<p>My question is how will this affect my chances at Harvard. Harvard is my dream school, and I would give anything to attend. I know I messed up, and messed up badly, but what happened was a mistake, and I have tried my best to make up for it. I’m worried that Harvard will just see this one thing, and forget about the rest of me. I know I made of mistake, but I wasn’t thinking right, and have done my best to atone for my actions. Even the circumstances, how will this affect my situation?</p>

2

<p>I would also like to add that other students at my school have also been put on probation for even more brazen acts yet still been accepted to schools like Princeton. That is why my hope isn’t completely crushed.</p>

3

<p>I think if you teacher writes you the recommendation, and it’s a positive one, you should be just fine.</p>

4

<p>

Well, there you go. Do you happen to go to Newman, by the way?</p>

5

<p>Why the hell are you telling us about this? There is a part on the application to describe why you’ve been put on probation. If you were to write similar to above you’d be fine. A little thing like that is not going to matter, especially with a valid “excuse.”</p>

6

<p>It might even be a good thing that the teacher decided to write your recommendation despite you plagiarising in his class.</p>

<p>Besides, judging from the events of the last year, Harvard seems to like plagiarisers.</p>

7

<p>“Well, there you go. Do you happen to go to Newman, by the way?”</p>

<p>I didn’t attend Newman, but I know about it. I was at Benjamin Franklin before Katrina. Now I’m at a school in New York.</p>

<p>"Why the hell are you telling us about this? There is a part on the application to describe why you’ve been put on probation. If you were to write similar to above you’d be fine. A little thing like that is not going to matter, especially with a valid “excuse.”</p>

<p>Concern mostly, and fear. I’m just really, really afraid that this one mistake could end up overshadowing everything else about me. I mean even the teacher whose class it happened in argrees that it was an unfortunate but not huge incident. He’s even agreed to write in the letter that this incident shouldn’t even affect there opinion of me, but I can’t help but let the mind wander…</p>

8

<p>I’m not sure how it will affect your chance of getting into Harvard, but telling someone, “it’s a ■■■■■■■■ form of plagiarism” makes you sound like an eight-year old. And that’s being complimentary. You might want to rethink that phrase.</p>