<p>Recently a classmate of mine admitted he received supplements from UC for his “major physical disability” however it is common knowledge throughout our school that he doesn’t have this disability. He refuses to elaborate on what it is and instead replies with, “don’t worry about it,” smiles, laughs, and slyly walks away. He is also known as a very sneaky cheater in my school, though he was never caught by administrators. Teachers know this but unable to catch him in the act (it has happened and they have tried). He is known to pull many dirty tricks up his sleeve.</p>
<p>Knowing this, I feel that it’s necessary for me to report him. Not solely because he’s cheated before, but because I feel that it’s suspicious. It seems that he is doing this so he can get a supplement and use it as leverage to get into the high level UC’s. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I don’t want to simply jump to conclusions. If I had a disability I wouldn’t want people thinking that I’m lying about my disability. However, the reactions I saw - the smiling, the laughing, the suspicious nature of it all - make me want to report him. </p>
<p>I don’t feel it’s fair to the thousands of students who apply to UCs.</p>
<p>I’d like to know what disability this is - that is, whether it’s visible or not. </p>
<p>That said, if it’s something obvious, he will eventually be caught and punished. I know that it seems wrong, but it’s really not up to you to report him.</p>
<p>Why don’t you report your suspicions to his school guidance counselor. The counselor could then report this to the UCs if he/she feels the student is being disingenuous on their admissions application.</p>
<p>If he is being asked for documentation on his disability, he will need to prove it in some way. If he is lying about having this disability, it will be tough to get the proof of it for the UC application. I would leave it alone if I were you. It will catch up to him at some point. Colleges are usually rather strict on cheating and he won’t get away with it for long.</p>
<p>Regarding the UC application, you really don’t have a case since you know nothing. You have suspicions, but unless you have something concrete, let it go. If you had solid evidence, not just suspicions, I might have different advice.</p>
<p>Regarding the cheating in class, if you know how he’s doing it, I have no trouble letting someone in authority know how he’s doing it. In fact, your honor code may actually require that you do, as old fashioned as that may sound. But he is stealing from you, in the sense that you have to work for your grade, he’s getting the same grade by dishonest means, therefore, he gets what he deserves. But again, suspicions count for nothing, you’re going to have to have direct proof.</p>
<p>FWIW, people like that eventually like to brag about how they’re getting away with it - once they realize you aren’t trying to bust them, they just can’t help themselves. As a student teacher, I twice sat in class and listened to students tell other students exactly how they were cheating or planned to cheat - I just listened as they showed each other how to use their calculator to cheat and how they had managed to steal the Advanced Chem final.</p>
<p>“If he is being asked for documentation on his disability, he will need to prove it in some way.” </p>
<p>Given the ease that one can get a perscription for medical marijuana, I think that if push came to shove, a doctor’s letter would be rather easy to obtain.</p>
<p>As the other user mentioned, “Mind your own business.” Him lying about his disability or him actually being truthful doesn’t affect you directly. I’m sure universities don’t just hand out money like that and even if they do, it’s their money, not yours. I would just stay quiet and let karma do it’s job if he’s lying. Instead of being involved in his personal matters, you should just concentrate on your education and your life. I am in no means trying to be rude, simply stating what needs to be said. I understand where you’re coming from as I see many students in my AP classes cheat right in front of me. There is a lot I can say but instead of wasting my time, I choose to put my efforts towards studying and making good grades truthfully. As long as you’re doing the right thing, that is all that should matter to you.</p>
<p>Although I understand it, I actually find this troubling. </p>
<p>Those kids are stealing from you - they are getting better grades, better class rank, into better colleges, and you are letting them rob you blind because you feel it’s a worse crime to snitch.</p>
<p>I hope the GC already wrote OP’s rec letter because if I were a GC, whether this kid’s classmate had a disability or not, the reporting wouldn’t enhance my opinion of that student, to say the least.</p>
<p>I agree with everyone who says leave it alone.</p>
<p>nofourpointoh, I see your situation very differently. That sort of thing should be reported. Some schools have an honor code where you are complicit if you don’t report–rampant cheating shouldn’t be overlooked… Those students are your direct competition in class and for class rank and this directly hurts you and others–plus you have direct evidence/witness of this.</p>
<p>Actually, OP did mention cheating as well, but that’s gotten lost. At least he suspects him of cheating, but doesn’t report actually witnessing it. It’s a later poster who reports actually seeing it, but doing nothing.</p>
<p>As a student teacher, you kind of have to do that. </p>
<p>I think with the Advanced Chem test, they just gave a different test, since it would be hard to prove they actually had it - but I’ve always been curious about what it did to their grades - or were they stupid enough just to put down the answers to the other test?</p>
<p>The calculator trick wound up with a calculator inspection before the test.</p>
<p>In college I had an engineering professor who warned students he reserved the right to factory reset HP-41CVs (I’m dating myself) at any time during a test, so don’t store any programs you might need in the future. I actually saw him reset a student once. No muss, no fuss, just took the calculator and reset it, then handed it back.</p>
<p>FWIW, HP-41CVs still sell for $150-$200 on eBay. I need to dig mine out and cash it in.</p>
<p>assuming the above is correct, the OP gains nothing by reporting it. Time to let it go, IMO.</p>
<p>(And, btw, the OP never said that s/he attended a HS with an honor code.)</p>
<p>Tiger: it is naive to assume that there is no fraud in the disability program. (There are plenty of unscrupulous doctors and lawyers available to write up anything to present to a school nurse/GC.)</p>